The Blade, the Fist, and the Sea
by Arcturox
Summary: A young dark elf seeks her fortune by the edge of a blade. Soon she finds herself in the company of a strange Nord monk, and an even stranger Redguard. As time turns forward, these three mortal creatures will change the strings of Nirn's fate forever.
1. Chapter 1: The Forest

The bastard sword glinted in sunlight reflected off of the mountain snow. Dark hands surrounded by iron plate gripped it fervently. Past the blade's edge stood a stony giant of a man: seven feet tall at least, with a war-hammer to match. His stance was lazy, which put the bastard-wielding dark elf in a spot of uneasy confidence. She stood at the ready, her stance wide, feet planted, and hips ready to turn into the swing. Behind her, three figures cowered in a mountain crag - a young man and woman in fine clothes and a young imperial soldier, his red tinted armor still shiny and new. His falcate was drawn, but cowardice rang through his eyes, and the dark elf knew he would do nothing.

"Move, elf. They aren't paying you enough for this." The mercenary's voice sounded like a cracked church bell.

"No, but this little incident may convince them to raise my wages." She spoke in a hushed, intense tone.

He chuckled, whirling his war hammer nonchalantly. "You gotta be alive to get paid. 'Sides, you got a cute face, I'd hate to ruin it."

"Then walk away right now, or get yer balls out of yer own arse and fight me like the man you seem to think you are."

His face went grim. "Wrong move, lass. 'Tis a shame yer tongue aint as pretty as the rest of ye."

"I am Alaise. Remember it so you may curse my name as your soul reaches the next world."

"Dark skin bitch like you couldn't even get close to me." He growled.

His stance shifted in an instant and the hammer swung up from his bottom right in a diagonal arc. Alaise swung her sword point-downwards, catching his swing in the curve of her handguard. She swung around and pulled upward, attempting to disarm the beast of his club. His hands held firm and they instead became weapon-locked. The next few seconds, Alaise knew, would decide who lived. The one who more gracefully came out of the lock would surely get the other in their next swing. Alaise dropped to the ground, a tactic she knew would not be expected. In the moment of hesitation it created she flung her smoothly shaved head full-force into his crotch. His muscles loosened in pain, she swept his legs and swung her blade down in a berserker's arc.

The mercenary's head rolled slowly down the mountain path, leaving a trail of swiftly darkening blood as it moved. The young imperial whooped and sheathed his sword.

"Yes! Alaise! Atta girl! Gods, ma'am you just…wow!"

Alaise couldn't keep the grin of relief off her face. She quickly wiped off her blade in the snow and sheathed it, looking up as soon as she could hold her face straight.

"'tis my job, lad." She said, her sentence giving an aura of quiet confidence.

"Aye but… I've never seen no one head-butt a man in the balls before! And you cut 'is head clean off!"

Alaise cleared her throat and gestured her head towards the pass they had been travelling to. "Best move swift now, Lucius. We may run into more o' these Rift mercenary bastards before we cross the mountains onto the imperial borders."

Lucius nodded soberly and tapped his sheathed falcate. "Next time, I'll try to be of more help." He turned to the finely dressed couple who still cowered in the crag. "Milord, milady, we must be on the move now. We'll have you in the legion's loving arms by morning, I swear it." The two highborn's nodded meekly, beginning again their trek up the path. The mountains on either side of the four loomed like gods, their snowy peaks hidden by a layer of thick clouds. Wind shrieked through the pass, pulling down wisps of loose snow that battered the travellers' faces. Alaise knew the pass would not be pleasant, but she was not born for snowy weather. The cold seeped into her bones quickly, and soon she doubted she would be able to hold her sword properly should they come across another bounty-man. More uncomfortable still however, were the lordlings she was towing. For some time after the killing they were quite silent, but as the winds picked up and the sun disappeared behind the peaks their moods turned sour, and they began to curse at both her and the young imperial. Alaise was used to dealing with the well moneyed, being a mercenary herself, but she could see their foul tongues wearing on Lucius' mood. His steps were heavy, his shoulders slack and tired. She was sure the cold had gotten to him too. Soon enough, continuing on the path would become unwise. She knew what they should do, but she knew the highborns wouldn't like it.

"We should make camp." Immediately she was met with poisonous glares.

"The boy said we'd be at the legion by morning!"

"Aye, he said an oath!"

Alaise sighed and looked to Lucius, whose face had morphed into one of tired acceptance. He sighed. "Some oaths must be broken, milord. We cannot go any further."

The young lord strode up to Lucius, his shoulders square and his brow furrowed in anger. Reaching out to Lucius' hand he removed the boy's gauntlet and struck him across the face with it in rage.

"We _are _getting off this mountain, you lowly, shit-stained whelp! My uncle will hear of your oath-breaking and you will never see-"

He collapsed in pain as Alaise struck the back of his knee with her sheath. "Down, milord Bolter. The boy has broken no oaths."

Fury in the highborn's eyes burned like hellfire and he spat at Alaise's feet "My uncle will have you executed, swine! Cunt! Your head will roll for striking me!"

Her Bastard sword was unsheathed in a flash of cold steel, and its tip pressed beneath his chin. The lord Bolter's eyes turned from fury to fear in an instant.

"Your uncle… Is not here. My sword is. I say we stop, so we stop. Your uncle is a wiser man than you; he does not raise a hand in anger when it is not needed."

Bolter fell back onto the snow, rubbing his neck as if to make sure it was still in one piece as Alaise re-sheathed her blade. "Now wait here. I'll get a fire going."

The camp was silent as night fell. The lordlings ate warmed soup near the fire as Lucius wiped bandages across his face. The points of his gauntlet had caught against his cheek rather badly and the side of his face had begun to bruise. The night around them seemed ominously quiet. The wind swept by in a relative silence, and the sounds of crickets and wildlife had left them at the mountainside. Alaise watched over the other three as they began to fall asleep, swaddled in their furs against the hard frozen ground. She would keep watch as long as her weary eyes allowed, but as far as she could see, their camp was well hidden, and she doubted that an all-night watch would be necessary. Still, something didn't seem right. The darkness of the sky was too complete. No moon shone through the clouds above, the thinly burning embers of her fire seemed like the only light left in the world. Despite her discomfort, she found herself drifting into a sea of sleep.

She had troubling dreams.

.

* * *

.

Alaise was awoken by Lucius. The sun was rising beyond the edge of the mountain, and the ominous darkness of the previous night had vanished. Once they had woken the Lord and Lady Bolter, they began anew their journey, this time mostly on a downwards slope. A welcome change, Alaise thought, from the upward struggle they had experienced the previous day. Soon she began to notice small shrubs and pines growing from the stones of the mountain, and beyond them, a forest stood against the foothills. "We are nearly in imperial territory your lordships." Alaise addressed the highborns. They both kept silent, and only the lady nodded her acknowledgement. It seemed the lord Bolter wouldn't soon forget his encounter the night before. Lucius lead the party down the final steeper section of the mountain into the first layer of the forest. "Finally, trees." He said breathing in deeply. "I'm afraid the mountain air does nothing for me compared to the smell of pine"

Alaise smirked. "Aye I'll take a forest over a mountain any day." But as she took her first whiff of forest air, her nose detected the faint smell of something unsettling.

She glanced meaningfully at Lucius, and from his face it seemed he understood there was something wrong. "What is it Alaise," he whispered. "Have you heard something?"

"Smelled." Alaise spoke back in a hushed tone. "Wood smoke. There's a fire nearby"

Lucius made a face. "Oh divines, Alaise. There are hunters everywhere in these woods. What kind of bounty-man would make a fire while on the search anyway? They know better."

Alaise brushed off his doubts and stepped ahead of the group, prying the forest for any sign of movement.

A twig cracked back near the others and within the right side of the wood. Alaise tensed and whirled around to see Lucius with his hand nervously attached to his sword. He looked up at her and nodded towards where the sound came from. As her blade began to unsheathe, the sound of whistling whispered through the leaves. Steel bolts ripped through the branches around the three party members behind her, their tips jabbing viciously into unsuspecting flesh. Lord Bolter was brought to his knee by one, as another two pierced his neck and chest. Lucius went down immediately as a bolt stuck into the side of his head beneath the ear. The Lady was pierced thrice in the chest and stomach. Blood spattered across the dirt path and turned black as it seeped into the earth. Alaise was left, mouth agape and eyes wide, standing alone in the trail's center. The unified marching of feet crackled through the forest near her dead cohorts. From the shadows of the pine strode a line of Rift guardsmen, led by a man in blue cloth over steel scales. A Stormcloak lieutenant. He turned to face Alaise, his crossbow at ease in his hand; one of the other men noticed the direction of his gaze and raised a crossbow to fire a round into Alaise as well. The lieutenant swiftly held his hand up in a halting motion.

"Wait. This one's a mercenary. No need for extra blood." He took a few steps towards the still-stunned dark elf. "I am sorry to impede on your work, my girl. I'm afraid I cannot repay you what you have doubtless lost by my actions."

Alaise's eyes were locked on the body of Lucius. His face was turned to hers, but his eyes stared beyond her, lips caked in his own blood. "I-I-o-of course. I won't trouble you." She stammered out to the Stormcloak. Her head awash with confusion and anger, she struggled to hold herself composed. "I have already been paid half. That will... have to suffice."

The lieutenant nodded with a smile, seemingly satisfied. "Aye, I'm afraid it will. Good luck in your travels miss." With a nod of courtesy, the Stormcloak turned back to his men, and after inspecting the lordling corpses to be sure they had killed the right ones, the party strode back into the forest. Alaise quieted her trembling hands and shaking breath, pacing back and forth past the bodies of her companions. Finally steeling herself, she laid the three side by side along the road's edge, removing the amulets of the nobles and Lucius' leather helm. The tokens would have to suffice as proof of their death. There was no way she could transport their bodies the rest of the way to the imperial camps. As a final thought before she left the road behind her, she laid Lucius' sword down his chest, and folded his arms over the hilt. The pose made him look heroic, as though he had died a warrior. She wasn't sure which divines he favored, so she said a silent prayer to the Nerevarine and turned away.


	2. Chapter 2: The Crossing

The peaks of red tinted tents crept over the horizon, emerging from behind a barren hill. Alaise's mouth pulled into a grimace. She knew it was dangerous doing this, but she had to for her conscience to be clean. Her grip tightened on Lucius' helm. The imperial spotter of the camp swiftly caught his eyes on her approach and called down some indiscernible words to an officer below, who nodded and strode out of the camp boundary towards her. While still at a mild distance, Alaise tipped her head in a slight bow to indicate she was not approaching hostilely. The imperial nodded in acknowledgement, unsheathing his sword and sticking it into the earth in front of him. Alaise did the same with her bastard blade. The officer's eyes looked her up and down assessively. They were a sharp blue, cold but observant, just as she would expect from an officer. Alaise never understood the imperial rank system, but the symbols on his armor looked impressive.

"I am legate Doran. What is it you seek from my camp, Dunmer?" The Imperial spoke clearly and abruptly, his gaze steady.

"I have news: one of your soldiers, a recruit by the name of Lucius who was assigned to guard the Bolter children of the southern Reach…" Alaise trailed off.

The officer gestured to the helm in her grasp. "I take it he has died then."

"Aye." Alaise said, briefly pausing. "He died… He died protecting his charges. He fought well."

Legate Doran nodded an approval and motioned to two of his soldiers who had been standing on the edge of the camp. Turning back to Alaise he said, "I was the boy's commanding officer. He was never the bravest soul, but remained ever obedient and quick in his duties. I was proud to have him in my legion. I continue to be proud now that his soul will be seen to by Arkay."

Alaise remained silent as the two soldiers came to stand at attention beside their leader.

Legate Doran motioned for them to remain at ease and turned back to Alaise. "The lord and lady Bolter did they…?"

"No. They were struck down soon after your soldier." Alaise spoke with a certain shame. It had been her duty to defend them as well. Their deaths reflected a massive failure on her part.

"I see. Are their bodies retrievable?"

"Aye sir, they're laid on the forest road by the nearest mountain pass." She pointed back between the twin peaks she had come from; though she knew the Legate Doran would likely be well aware of the path she spoke. "There was a troop of Rift Guardsmen, led by a Stormcloak officer, all armed with crossbows. It seemed to me they had made camp off the side of the pass." Alaise reached into her pouch and withdrew the two tokens she had taken from the children. The legate's men took them along with the helmet.

Legate Doran rubbed at the bristles of his stubble. "You had best head away from any Bolter lands. They'll be looking for someone to execute I expect."

Alaise nodded. She was already taking a risk by coming to the imperials. A lone mercenary fails in her duties and her companions die out of sight of all other witnesses, and during war-time at that. It would not look good to an outside observer.

Legate Doran said a courteous thank you for her information then drew his sword back up from the dirt and wiped the blade clean on a piece of crimson cloth. Alaise slung her sword into its sheath and made her first few steps Northward.

* * *

The next few days were a blur for her. She walked til it got dark, made camp until it got light, and repeated the process again. Her thoughts were frayed and uncertain of themselves. In her many years as a sellsword she had never failed so utterly and abruptly. On top of that the enemy that had so deftly defeated her regarded her with an infuriatingly casual mercy. If Alaise's mother could see her now… In between her scrambled thoughts, Alaise searched for a destination. Certainly she'd be seeing no further work from the Bolters. But besides all of her most recent troubles, she had been on a downslope since the last winter. Skyrim was not an easy place to live for Dunmer. Every other day she spent among Skyrim's locals was an adventure into intense distrust and bigotry. On top of that her skin was not made to weather the harsh cold. The warm shores of Morrowind were a far cry from the frozen wastes. All of Skyrim's unpleasantness had begun to wear harder on her as gold grew scarce. Without warm beds and fine wines interspersed with the harsh realities of the north, Alaise had grown depressed and bitter.

On her third night alone, her gaze scanned the nearby stones of the plain. Nights in the open tundra made her uneasy. Though she had no reason to think there was anyone in particular hunting her, a fire attracted all kinds of attention, some of which she'd rather avoid. So she kept her embers low and short lived. Her eyes were on constant alert whenever they weren't closed. As she shifted her stare across the darkened horizon, the shapes of distant mountain reached into the sky and covered swathes of stars. Across them there were other lands, warmer lands with fatter purses. Skyrim hadn't been her end goal anyway, and Alaise surely didn't need any more snow in her life. _Daedra Take the Nords_ She thought, pulling out her tattered map. The damn thing was barely legible in the ember light. Not that it was particularly easy to read when the sun was out either what with the water damage and burn scars, but the darkness didn't make it easier. She removed a glove and scanned her finger along the faded lines of Tamriel. Elsweyr and Valenwood were obviously out of the question simply by distance. Morrowind, well… It wasn't exactly the best place to find work these days. Cyrodiil made Alaise's nose scrunch. The place was crawling with high-horse Thalmor agents and imperial peacekeepers. No decent knife-work could be found in a place like that. High Rock… Well, maybe. From what Alaise knew it was brimming with lordly families looking to get even with one another. Plenty of opportunities could be crafted by that sort of situation. The only problem would be the Druadach Pass. The roads around there weren't renowned for being safe, and with her current luck they'd probably be sporting a horde of frost trolls. But the longer she looked, the more it became clear the pass was her best escape route. Her path was turned definitively westward. Ahead, the Druadach Mountains loomed. Dark though they seemed in the night, Alaise knew that between their peaks, paths wound and gates stood that could carry her away from her troubles… and probably into new ones.

The morning came quickly, the fears she had of the dark plains shifted away with the light, and Alaise set back on her journey. This time, her eyes were turned westward and north to Dragon Bridge. The old stone crossing was the only way north of Karthwasten to pass the river. Besides that, the town was very friendly to wandering types. Since it was built up around the old bridge, the town got most of its gold from the kinds of people who often travel the roads. Soldiers, sellswords, and minstrels were their very favorite customers. Maybe Alaise could waste a few coins there before her escape. The day was warmer than usual (though still decidedly chilly). The winds came in from the east, pushing at her back. It seemed Kyne was being merciful for the day - a decision that prompted a silent prayer in thanks from Alaise's travel-weary body.

By the time she reached the bridge, the sun was turning downward, and the sky faded into pink. The folks she passed nodded greetings to her. The shop keeps were more vocal and enthusiastic about their welcomes. Doubtless they could see she was a sellsword. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't see the paltry few septims that jingled in her bag, and the only thing she planned to spend those on was a bottle of ale and a bed.

As she approached the Four Shields tavern porch, she took note of a few suspicious looking Bretons playing dice. As she passed by, Alaise pretended not to notice their glare. There were certainly cons to being a travel-heavy town. The wanderers of Skyrim weren't known to be the friendliest bunch, nor the most normal. Despite how commonplace it might be to find aggressive characters around the Four Shields tavern, their stares put Alaise off. Instead of ale and a bed, it seemed she would have to settle for just the ale. A camp hidden among the rocks was a lot safer from thieves and other unsavory people than a bedroom with no door. Alaise shimmied sideways through the raucous singers and drinkers of the inn until she came to the bar. A few gold was handed to Faida, the innkeeper, and an ale dropped into Alaise's hand. She took her first gulp and sighed happily, scanning over the merrymakers that were stumbling around the fire pit. _It's a lovely way to waste money._ She thought, tipping the bottle up for a second gulp. Despite her griping about Nords, she had to admit they sure knew how to drink.

Her wandering eyes landed once more on the Bretons, this time sitting in one of the corner tables, occasionally gazing across the room to Alaise. She grimaced. They couldn't have been more obvious if they tried. A newborn would have seen them coming from a kilometer away. She wondered what it was they were after. If it was gold they'd be disappointed. Maybe it was her gear. If there was anything in Alaise's ownership worth a bit of gold it was certainly her sword. She supposed she could let them meet the old girl up close if they really wanted it, but if things went as planned, hopefully Alaise would be long gone before they knew what happened. Her ale finished, Alaise made as if she was negotiating a bed from Faida. From the Bretons' angle Alaise's back would cover up the absence of gold being passed. Faida gave her an odd look which Alaise ignored. From there she wandered back out onto the porch and sat in one of the chairs. Hopefully with her "purchase" of a bed the Bretons would be satisfied. Certainly one of them would be out in a moment to be sure she didn't wander off, but now that they thought she was staying the night, all she had to do was wait for an opening and…

A piece of paper tacked into the porch fence caught her eye. A drawing of Alaise's face emblazoned across its center. The words read "Alaise Tiilden: Wanted dead for her part in the murder of Ildra and Algruf Bolter. Payment of 800 gold upon proof of death."

"_Shit_." Alaise whispered through gritted teeth. Swiftly she hopped over the fence and began to jog towards the western hills. "_Shit, shit, shit._" The Breton would surely be out at any moment.

As if on cue, the door swung open and the Breton choked on his current swig of mead before shouting back to his comrades. "Oy! Move it lads, she's rabbiting!"


	3. Chapter 3: The Pilgrim

Her feet tapped rapidly against the graveled dirt of the road, her armor plates clinking together with each step. Behind her, the three men from the bar followed at an equal pace. Alaise could hear the sounds of their sheaths knocking against their thighs. They sounded hollow so their blades must've been drawn, but Alaise couldn't think of why. Running with blade in hand was unnecessary, especially with the heavy Nordic steel that the mercenaries were carrying. Unless they thought she planned to stop and fight, which surely they couldn't. They certainly seemed dense but no one could possibly think a single person would turn to fight three willingly. As she pulled around a stone outcrop that marked the corner of the road, she saw why it was they were preparing to fight rather than run. A horse stood in her path, and atop it, a fourth Breton sat, crossbow tucked into his shoulder. The next few seconds shot past in a haze. Alaise unclipped her supplies from the belt pouch where she kept most of them and slung it full force towards the crossbowman. She tucked and rolled towards the horse while he was dodging the bag, managing to slip under its legs before he fired his bolt. Despite her maneuver, the bolt grazed her ankle, slicing through her boot and a fortunately thin layer of skin. Gritting her teeth and unsheathing her boot knife, Alaise struck deeply into the pit of one of the horse's front legs causing the beast to drop forward. With the rider at an imbalance Alaise stood, yanked the man from his horse and cut his throat. The three behind her were just about to turn the corner so as quick as she could; she drew a new bolt from the dead man's belt and re-cocked the crossbow, ducking behind the whinnying horse. The first man who turned the corner got a bolt straight through his neck. He dropped immediately to the dirt.

"You two behind the stone! If you come a step closer, I'll send you both to the abyss!"

From behind the stone one of the men howled back. "You've killed my brothers you dark-elf whore! I'll gut you where you stand!"

Alaise sighed. Great. A family business of mercenaries. "You try it, you die! I've already killed two of yours! Another one or two will go just as easily for me! Walk away!"

A hand reached from around the stone and grabbed hold of the boot of the man she'd shot, dragging him back to the others. As he was dragged, his eyes were wide and unfocused, and he gasped unsuccessfully for breath. "We got friends in dark places Dunmer! We'll be back and we'll kill you slow!"

"I'll be waiting!" Alaise shouted after them. She listened until she was sure the sounds of their boots were well away before she gathered her supplies and went briskly up the road. She put a bolt of mercy through the horse before discarding the crossbow. A useful tool to be sure, but she had no room for it, and she had to move with whatever speed she could with her throbbing ankle. It was a shame she didn't spare the horse. That was something she certainly could have used, but realistically there was no other way to have taken the crossbowman.

* * *

The western hills got steeper the further she jogged, and her breath grew more haggard with every meter. She needed to find a place to sleep - somewhere hidden with a good line of sight. With the sun nearly gone she had little time to search properly. In the end, she settled for a jagged section of stone that protruded from one of the steeper hills – nearly a cliff in its slant. Any approach made would take some time and make noise in the loose stone. The only downside was the visibility, but if she was careful enough, no one would notice her form behind the rock.

Alaise stared straight up into the black between the stars, mind wandering and planning - pointedly ignoring the pain in her ankle. If the Bolters were assured of her involvement in their children's murder, there was nothing she could do about it anymore. As much as she'd like to lose the bounty on her head, the bounties enforced by Skyrim's holds were rarely regarded anywhere outside their borders. So long as Alaise stayed outside of the Bolter area of influence, mercs looking to catch a prize would stay off her back. Of course, then there were the Bretons who she'd just made enemies with. In her experience, when it came to families, reason and gold rarely took priority. If she'd known they were brothers, she'd have just killed the one on the horse and kept running. Maybe if they'd been preoccupied with the corpse she'd have been able to get away without them shouting promises of revenge. Still, men of their aptitude weren't much of a threat unless given the element of surprise, and she doubted even if they _did_ keep hunting her that they would ever manage that. Alaise rolled over to peek above the edge of her hiding place. It wasn't likely they'd follow her right away. They had family to bury, possibly a horse to replace. Her red tinted eyes flitted along the hills below her where she found no signs of any movement. Satisfied, she began to lower herself back into a resting position, taking one last glance to the Druadach pass where she saw a dim light barely flickering below the edge of what looked to her like a pile of stacked stones. Alaise stared intently at the light for a while and saw no movement. Not even a flitting shadow cast by the firelight. If it was a camp, it was an ominously quiet one. _One thing after the gods damned other,_ she thought, rousing herself from her nook. She wasn't likely to get a quiet rest without knowing who was camped in her path. Besides, the nagging of her wounded leg wasn't planning on letting her sleep anyhow.

Alaise crept as silently as she could through the stones of the hill, moving diagonally to the camp ahead, hoping to get a better angle. With the lack of movement, hopefully she'd find them asleep, but she definitely couldn't count on it. As she approached, the pile of stone began to appear as more of a pile of rags. Even closer and she noticed a gleam at the top. That was when she realized the stones were not stones, but a man sitting perfectly still, his head shaved bald. _Blessings of Azura._ She stared at the colossal creature from behind a crag, searching for any twitch of movement and found none. _The man's a bloody statue._ She glanced briefly around the rest of his camp. His position was far superior to her original hidden nook in every respect besides his light. It was a mostly barren campsite. His fire had burned low, and besides an area of dirt that had been cleaned of pebbles to be slept on, it seemed the stranger only had some cooking supplies and a small sack. By the closeness of his shave and the yellow color of his robe, she guessed he might be a priest. The way he was sitting put her ill at ease. Still, someone that silent and motionless had to be either asleep or dead, and priests weren't known for violent retaliation. Quietly she continued forward until she was just beyond his firelight. From there, she could see his face more clearly. He had the sort of face she'd expect from a man of his size. He had a large nose, a wide jaw, and chiseled cheekbones. Were his skin as grey as hers, she would have mistaken him for a statue even this close. His eyes were closed. Alaise snuck forward, taking a fistful of dirt in her palm and tossing it onto the fire, followed by another, and another. The small spurts of flame turned to a dark smoke.

"Do you not want to stay warm?"

Alaise jumped, quickly popping into a low stance and preparing to draw her sword.

The stranger's eyes were now open, looking intently at her. "Normally fire is a welcome friend on nights like this." His voice seemed to shake the air around him. It was deep and sonorous, but very quiet despite its intensity.

"Who are you and why do you make camp here." Alaise said. He seemed troublingly calm for someone with a stranger invading their camp. He might have friends waiting in the cliffs above, or a knife hidden in his robes. He dressed like a priest, but a fellow that imposing could certainly make a lot more money as a bandit.

"My name is Hadan. I make camp here because it is the best place I've seen to make camp."

"Are you armed?"

The priest patted along his body then held up his arms. "I have no weapons to speak of, if that is what you mean." Alaise glanced at his sack of supplies. "None there either. You may check, if you wish."

Alaise grabbed the supplies and briefly rifled through them. There were some medical supplies, a few pouches of dried fruits, and a rather sizable pouch of gold, but no weapon of any kind, not even a hatchet or wood knife. She nodded her approval to him, and moved her hand away from her bastard sword's hilt.

Hadan gestured to the cleared spot of his camp and Alaise sat, keeping her eyes on him. He was certainly strange, and large enough to be a threat, but it seemed that he might very well be a priest. After a few moments of silence, Hadan's eyes closed once again and he returned to his stony position. Alaise cocked an eyebrow. The man seemed entirely unconcerned that she'd just shook him down and taken his sleeping area.

"Why are you in these hills, priest?"

Hadan re-opened his eyes, and looked back at Alaise. "I am crossing into High Rock. I am not a priest."

"What are you then?"

As it became clear his new campmate was planning on continuing the line of questions, Hadan left his meditative pose and relaxed into a normal sitting position. "I am a pilgrim. Priests have temples and a flock. I do not."

Alaise removed her back sheath, placed her blade by her side, and leaned back against a stone. "Which divine do you pilgrim for?"

Hadan smiled and looked up to the stars. "Lady Mara. The great mother and goddess of love. I serve her in any way I can."

Alaise scoffed. "Forgive me for saying you don't look the part."

"You would not be the first."

A few moments of empty silence followed before Hadan threw a question to Alaise. "Are you being chased by someone?"

Alaise lowered her brow and laid a hand a few inches from her sword. "What makes you ask, pilgrim?"

Hadan motioned to her sliced boot. "You look more tired than a day of travel would make you. There is also blood on your boot."

"I wouldn't think you could see that with just the starlight."

"I saw it in the light of my fire while you doused it. I do not like to assume, so I ask you directly." Hadan's intonation still hadn't changed in the slightest; each word was delivered with the same calmness as someone asking about the weather.

Alaise hesitated a moment, but she knew easily enough that this man couldn't be in league with her Breton friends from earlier. There wasn't any harm to be had in speaking to a pilgrim of Mara about her troubles.

"Aye. I'm followed by two men. You're right about your camp. It is the best spot. I doused your fire so it could be of proper use. I'm sorry to have disturbed you, but I'm in a spot of trouble."

Hadan nodded then turned around to face the hills Alaise had arrived from. "I will watch. Rest if you can. I will wake you if they come."

Alaise looked incredulously at the back of the Hadan's head. "Wh-… I hate to offend, pilgrim, but I think I'd prefer to trust in my own eyes, not a stranger's."

Hadan didn't turn back to her but she could see him tilt his head in acknowledgement. "You may do as you wish. I will watch."

Alaise stared at the stock-still giant, unsure what to make of him. Of course she couldn't sleep now, but at least her safety from the Bretons was assured in her new hiding place. Her seat gave her a fine view of Hadan so any suspicious movements would not pass by unnoticed. The loss of one night's sleep, she hoped, would be worth the security. If the Bretons did come, she could test the pilgrim's word as well. A man traveling alone like he was might be looking for the kind of protection she could provide. With the gold he had in that pouch he could surely afford her wages – at least through the Druadach pass. As long as Hadan was who he said he was, maybe luck was about to change for Alaise. She could have a prospect of work before she even set foot in High Rock. And with a bit of coin in her pocket, everything would get a whole lot easier.


	4. Chapter 4: Companions

The sun crested over the haze surrounding the distant Skyrim landscape. Fog rolled down the sides of the Druadach Mountains, blurring the shapes of the far off stones. Alaise's eyes were still open, but barely. To her amazement Hadan hadn't moved a millimeter from his position, nor had his shoulders slouched. She wondered if he had stayed awake the whole night as she did, but seeing how he'd been resting when she wandered into his camp, it was more likely the man was just an intensely strange sleeper. Maybe he was just some kind of discipline nut like some of the other priests she'd seen. Most were overly meditative and holier than thou… it was infuriating to listen to them for more than a few hours, but Hadan seemed more of a quiet type, so she theorized he'd be easy enough to stand. As the sun came halfway over the edge of the horizon, Alaise deemed it morning enough to get started on the day. First order of business, as always, was securing herself and her gear, and the second, securing a bit of gold.

"Hadan was your name correct." She asked to the back of his shaven head, assuming he was in the same faux sleep he'd been in when she first arrived.

"Yes." He answered, turning to face her.

"I see you're traveling alone. That's a dangerous venture in these mountains," Alaise gestured to her sliced boot. "As you can see by my situation." She paused to re-buckle her sheath. "Despite the cut, I am a very skilled swordsman, and my services come cheaply since we're traveling in the same direction."

"You are offering to fight for me?"

Alaise hesitated, "Eh, well, I would call it more of an extra layer of defense. I operate mostly as a protector for those traveling the roads."

"Ah." Hadan said, righting himself and beginning to gather up his meager belongings. "I follow the path of nonviolence. I have no need for a defender."

Alaise scrambled to re-sell herself, maybe a shift in approach would help. "Perhaps I could help in another way then. I am an excellent tracker. I have fine senses of smell and hearing and can plot you routes to help avoid any violence in our path."

Hadan raised a hand to his chin and stroked at his absence of facial hair, seeming to think it over with more consideration this time.

"And," Alaise continued. "I have plenty of experience in crossing through Skyrim's mountains. I could assist you in any way necessary to ease your journey."

Hadan raised his eyes back to hers. "Very well. It is good to travel with company, but I want to know your name before we leave."

"I am Alaise. Alaise Tiilden of Ghorne."

Hadan's eyes widened slightly. "Ghorne is far from here, and under a pile of ash if I have heard correctly."

Alaise nodded somberly. "Aye. I've not been to my homeland in near on a hundred years. I was born well after the calamity but… My mother is a particularly stubborn Mer."

Hadan let out a small grin. "Our deal is set then, Alaise Tiilden. I shall pay you per day of our journey."

"My normal rate is fifty gold per day plus food and water. We can forgo the food, and we're headed in the same direction. So I'll drop the price down to thirty. Does that sound reasonable?"

Hadan nodded, reaching into his bag and pulling out his pouch of gold. He tossed the whole thing to Alaise. "That is fine. Take your thirty pieces for today, if you'd like."

Alaise continued to wonder what was going on in this pilgrim's head. Any man, even a holy one should have haggled at least a little. And he'd just handed her his entire supply of gold without a second thought. He was either extremely trusting or immensely foolish and in Alaise's mind, those two were one in the same. She felt no need to cheat the man out of his money if he aimed to pay it to her anyway, so she took her thirty pieces and handed the rest back.

Hadan tied his supplies around his shoulder and stood as if to begin their trip westward. "I move very quickly. Keep up if you can, but I will set my pace to yours if need be."

Alaise smirked. "That will not be a problem. I have doubtless travelled for many more years than yourself."

"Indeed."

Good gods, Hadan was like a bloody silt strider. The man's giant legs strode over stones, casually cut across wide corners of the road, and he seemed to pick the most difficult paths he could manage. Alaise struggled to keep up and was barely managing to stay within sight of him. Despite his seeming unwillingness to follow the clear road, he moved through the ragged mountain landscape as though he walked down a city street. Each obstacle he passed by with incredible and methodical ease, which Alaise, despite her attempts to copy the movement, could not replicate. By mid day, Alaise was breathing as raggedly as she had been running from the Bretons and they'd almost completed the entire crossing. She muttered quiet obscenities about her new companion's choice of path, but she couldn't deny they were making incredible time.

With her night of no rest weighing her down, she felt for the first time in a long time that she simply would not be able to travel through the rest of the day. As if she'd already alerted him, Hadan began to slow down, and soon she was approaching his back.

"You tire, Alaise."

She tried to gather herself into a good apology. Not fulfilling her duties on the first day of the job was embarrassing to say the least.

"Does your cut bother you?" Hadan said, looking to Alaise's left foot.

Now that he'd mentioned it and she had a moment to stop moving, it did seem that her ankle was throbbing quite a lot more than the previous day. Still, a sellsword showing weakness was not acceptable. "No, it's quite alright. I barely feel it."

"I can mend it for you."

Alaise looked curiously at Hadan. He was a healer too? As far as she knew, the temples of Mara had little to do with the healing arts. It seemed Hadan took her silence as agreement because as she was formulating a new series of questions, he crouched down, held his hands on either side of her leg and closed his eyes in concentration. Bright and pale yellow light shifted in strings around his hands and her wound, pulsing in time with her heartbeat. The pain of her leg faded, and she could feel her skin shifting. It was one of the stranger things she'd ever experienced. Normally Alaise relied on potions for any healing she needed. Magic was something she tried to avoid.

The light pulsed for a few seconds more before Hadan stood, satisfied with his work. "How does it feel?"

Alaise cleared her throat, shaking herself from her incredulity. "It's… well," The pain had faded entirely as if it had never existed in the first place. "It's much better. Thank you."

Hadan tipped his head. "You are welcome."

It was only after they began moving again that Alaise realized her breath was entirely regained and the stress on her muscles had dissolved. She stood still for a moment, staring after her charge. Proper healing like that was usually something only career mages could accomplish. She couldn't imagine a priest or a pilgrim would ever deign to enter an area of questionable morality like the College. Alaise suspicion was renewed. Hadan looked like a warrior, said he was a pilgrim, and was skilled as a mage. Who he really was begged for an answer, and if she planned to spend the next week of road with him, it would be comforting to know his true motivations.

A few hours later, the two travelers had reached the crest of the pass, and their view into High Rock was cleared. Beneath the mountains foothills spread into highland plains, which stretched far into the distance. Alaise let out a long happy breath, stretching out her limbs as they both stopped to enjoy the revealed view. She hadn't seen so much green at once in decades. She couldn't hold herself back from smiling. Hadan seemed happy too, but only with the same slight smile she'd already seen. It seemed his emotions didn't touch on any extremes. Alaise felt an immense relief. She was free from her troubles, free of Skyrim, and ready to move forward. Every moment she moved further away from the harsh cold, surety in her decision grew stronger. A new, better world awaited up ahead, and there was nothing standing in her way.

Their campfire flickered beneath a copse of pine trees in the valley of one of the foothills. Nearby she could hear a small river, and above, the light of Masser and Secunda shone needles of moonlight through the pines. Hadan stepped back into the firelight with a fresh bundle of sticks cradled in his arm, lowering them gently onto the dirt beside the fire. Alaise chewed at a piece of dried meat she pulled from her bag. She kept her eyes on Hadan's movements, watching how he acted, searching for more hints on what he was. So far all she had noted was that he moved very efficiently. She couldn't even properly nail down his race. His figure and skin shade seemed Nordic, but his eyes and some facial structure seemed almost mer-like or… maybe even Akaviri. His ears were perfectly human though, which didn't lend to the possibility of mer-blood in him. It would help explain his magical aptitude though.

"Do you have questions to ask?"

Alaise cleared her throat and sat back up straight. "Well…I was just wondering… where did you learn the restoration arts?"

Hadan looked into the fire. "Here and there. Some in Hammerfell, some in High Rock, a bit more in Skyrim."

That sounded like he was dodging the question to Alaise, so she pressed on. "Did you attend mages academies?"

Hadan shifted his look from the fire to her. "No."

For a long moment, they held eye contact, and Alaise looked for any kind of subtlety in Hadan's expression that might reveal why he was avoiding a straightforward answer, but his gaze was just as level and unconcerned as it had been since she met him. In the end, she dropped her gaze and returned to chewing her rations. She had plenty of time to learn more about his supposed "pilgrimage", and for now, she had other questions to answer.

"So, where are you headed?"

Hadan opened his pouch of dried fruit and popped one into his mouth. "For now, I go to Farrun on the north shore."

"And your end goal?" Alaise asked, repositioning herself into a slouch against the nearest tree to the fire.

"There is a wiseman near Evermor. It is him I am headed to."

"Why a wiseman?"

Hadan chewed down his current mouthful of fruit then tucked the pouch back into his supplies. "It is said he has knowledge beyond that of mortal men, and that he's lived for many hundreds of years. I seek that knowledge to better myself."

Alaise was surprised. That was the longest statement she'd heard out of Hadan all day, and it was uncharacteristically descriptive. "So is he immortal? If he's only a few hundred years old, he couldn't have that much more knowledge than a Dunmeri mage."

Hadan shrugged. "I do not know. Some say he is, some say he isn't. I would like to see for myself."

"So why Farrun? Isn't that out of your way?" Alaise was not the most knowledgeable about High Rock, but everyone knew the general positions of Tamriel's cities well enough.

"I have a friend in Farrun who will take me west along the coast. A day on a ship will cut nearly a week of navigating the hills."

"Hm. Lucky for you then."

Hadan tucked his legs beneath him and sat up into his sleeping position. "Why have you traveled to High Rock?"

Alaise tapped her healed leg. "Too much trouble behind me. I don't really have a destination besides 'away' and towards work."

Hadan closed his eyes. "That is a very free way to live, so long as the danger stays behind you."

"Mm." Alaise murmured. "I suppose it is."

The conversation died there, and Alaise laid in her place by the fire, listening to the quiet breeze through the pines, and the chirps of insects that hid among the leaves. As she felt herself begin to relax properly, Hadan asked her another question.

"Would you like to come to Farrun and take the passage with me? Evermor is large, and you may find more work there than elsewhere."

Alaise rolled herself over to face Hadan, but he was sat turned away from her, his eyes pointed into the forest.

"I'll think about it."

The night faded back into silence, and soon Alaise had drifted into the deepest most dreamless sleep she'd had in days.


	5. Chapter 5: The Sea

It was strange to see the grasslands. Alaise had wandered Skyrim's tundra long enough that when she saw an absence of trees she bundled against the harsh winds that would no doubt be cutting through her skin. The wind here, it was different. It carried with it a cool moisture and a taste of salt from the sea. As it blew past Alaise's skin, it left her more comforted than cold and it caused the grass around her to shift in waves. It was days like this that had inspired Alaise to leave Ghorne in the first place. Despite Alaise's desire to take in the day. Hadan's pace had not changed and instead of a leisurely stroll through the highlands, she spent the day in a half-jog, chasing after the giant monk. The muscles behind her knees were beginning to burn, but at least now there were no rocks to dodge around or climb over.

She'd thought about Hadan's offer when she'd woken in the camp earlier that morning. While she always felt strange when extending her stay with any one client, Hadan's voyage to Evermor was the only lead to actual work she had at the moment. Hadan had been more than forthcoming with his gold, and Evermor sounded like the right place for her to go, but still she felt as though she had agreed to something troublesome the moment she said yes.

The remainder of their second day of travel was spent crossing grasslands and scaling hills. As the sun began to set, Alaise crested a hill and searched over its edge for the shape of the monk only to find him sitting in a small valley between hers and the next hill, already beginning to set up a campfire with the logs he had carried from the forest.

"It is time we settled in for the night, Alaise." Hadan said in monotone. His constant calmness was beginning to rub Alaise the wrong way. It was almost like he forced the tone on himself to seem godlier. It was that sort of acting that made Alaise steer clear of priests. She felt herself beginning to sink into frustration and took a breath to calm her nerves. Regardless of what she thought to herself, she should never start an argument with a boss. _Well_… she thought back to the situation with the Bolter lordling. He'd started that one to be fair, and he'd struck Lucius who surely didn't deserve…

Well, he hadn't deserved any of that.

Even the Bolters hadn't deserved what they got.

"Alaise?" She looked up to Hadan; his face was lit dimly by the glow of a fire that had just been struck. "Are you alright?"

"Fine." She said, lying back against the grass. "Just thinking to myself."

"What troubles you?"

"I was just thinking to_ myself._" Alaise repeated. She pulled out a piece of jerky from her bag and chewed at it. Her supplies were getting stiffer by the day. She'd have to buy a new bag of meats in Farrun. Suddenly Alaise lost sight of why she didn't want to look for an argument with the monk. Maybe if she pressed hard enough she could get him to show a little humanity for once.

"Why do you always speak so… flatly?" Alaise asked, not expecting such a sudden answer.

"It helps me remain removed from my thoughts."

Alaise paused, trying to work out what that meant.

Hadan blew into the weakening flames and they leapt a little higher. "When I concentrate on making myself concise and even-toned, it is harder to think the things I would rather not."

"Are you trying to forget your sinful troubles?" Alaise teased. "Did you take a coin off the altar?"

"I do not try forget anything; it is important to remember and learn from your mistakes. I follow a path of nonviolence, but there are moments when I have betrayed that virtue."

Alaise chuckled, "How did you find someone foolish enough to pick a fight with a mountain?"

Hadan shook his head, "It is not something to make light of. The loss of life is an abysmal thing."

Alaise's curiosity was fully piqued, and it seemed she was about to get her answer to Hadan's strangeness. "Am I to believe you've killed men, pilgrim?"

"And Mer." Hadan added. "My years have not all been spent beneath the cloth." He pulled at the edge of his yellow robe. "I was a fighter once, until I found the light of Lady Mara."

"A fighter? Like in the arenas?" Alaise leaned in to the firelight. Hadan's size alone would make Alaise think twice. She couldn't imagine him being anything but legendary in the arenas.

"No. The Empire does not manage the Hammerfell fight pits. There are places in the deserts where slaves are kept and pitted against one another for gold. It is a dark sport crafted by cruel men."

Alaise's interested smile came to a sudden halt. "You were a slave?"

Hadan nodded. "And if I were to set foot back there, I doubtless would be again."

"How did you escape?"

Hadan's voice fell from its balance for a moment before catching itself. "I killed many slaves. When my master was sure I'd been addicted to the fights, he grew careless. At the right moment, I killed him as well and took his horse."

"Hadan… I'm sorry that… I'm sorry that you-"

"It was a long time ago."

"How old were you when…?"

"I was thirteen when I left." Hadan stirred the embers with a small stick, staring into them as they shifted. "It is from those experiences that I learned of Lady Mara, and of restoration. Without my mistakes, I would not be myself. They are important to me in their own way." He looked up and locked eyes with Alaise. "But while they are painful to recall… those memories will not corrupt me."

Alaise wasn't sure how to proceed from there. Hadan had opened up so suddenly and completely that she felt as though she should somehow repay him for baring his memories at her whim. Had she stopped her questioning she had no doubt the conversation would have ended before any painful memories were fully unburied. She supposed the only way to even the score would be to give a memory of her own.

"I killed a baby once." She found herself saying, staring down into her clasped hands. "I was taught destruction magic by my mother. I used it as a spellsword for a time. But… There was a job with a mercenary company I worked for. The Mountain Hands. We were supposed to destroy a military caravan. I was in the vanguard. It was my job to set the carts alight. It was only after the fight was over and we were digging through the ashes for coin. I found…small bones. The skin was…" she trailed off, her hands shaking. "And my last job - A... friend of mine, he..." Hadan's large arm fell on her shoulder and held there until she shrugged it off. "I'm fine without the coddling."

Alaise paused as Hadan moved away and sat back across the fire from her. "But thank you… for the concern."

"It is in the past now." Hadan said. "You're not meant to forget, but try not to dwell on the pain either."

"Sure." Alaise replied, looking out into the plains. Her throat was tightened with emotion, but she kept it down, and her face stayed rigid. "Let's just… get some sleep."

Alaise didn't wait for an answer, curling up against the grass and shutting her eyes against the light of the fire. She heard Hadan's robe shift as he presumably 'settled' himself for sleep. Excess sound melted away, and all that was left was the occasional crack of the fire and the wind in the grass. Despite the pit in her stomach and the mood that clouded her mind, the sounds of the plains managed to eventually lull her into a deep, silent sleep.

* * *

It was still very early morning when the pair reached Farrun. The city stretched across a long swath of coastline. Its walls reached several stories high, but the towers of the city's districts reached higher still, blocking out the still-rising sun. The buildings were sturdily timber framed and their plaster painted white. Beyond, Alaise could see the masts of ships waiting in the harbor. Soon she'd be aboard one of them, and bound for a city she knew nothing about. She found herself both frightened and excited by the concept: feelings she'd not had about traveling in an age. Her long stint of staying within Skyrim's borders had very much renewed her passion for the road.

"So," she said, jogging up to Hadan's side. "Where do we find this friend of yours?"

Hadan shrugged. "I have no idea." Alaise opened her mouth, about to ask Hadan how exactly he planned to find one man in a city with no idea where he might be, but Hadan interrupted her. "Though if I were to make a guess… I would say he is surely in the largest and most crowded bar."

"That doesn't sound like a wholesome friend for a pilgrim, Hadan."

Hadan smiled. "He is not usually a friend to much of anyone. I take it as a compliment that he considers me one."

Alaise grimaced. "Doesn't sound like the most agreeable person to spend a sea voyage with."

"No." Hadan said, beginning his long stride toward the city's gates once again. "No he is not."

Alaise shouted after him, "No, Hadan, that's where you say something philosophical and ease my doubts!"

Hadan continued forward silently.

"Hadan!"

* * *

The monk slowed his pace when within the city, presumably to not attract undue attention or possibly to avoid running into strangers. A few people ogled at his size, but most didn't pay either of them any mind. Strange folk pass through port towns all the time, and locals were unimpressed by a giant monk with a Dunmer bodyguard. Together they wound through the streets, every once in a while, Alaise would point out a bar or tavern to Hadan and he would shake his head no before continuing on. Eventually Alaise's ears caught onto a sound she knew well from her childhood. The clack of wooden swords, accompanied by the yells and whoops of children. Mixed within the sounds of the children was an adult voice, bellowing orders and dramatic goading phrases. Hadan looked to Alaise and nodded in the direction of the cacophony.

"That sounds right."

Alaise raised an eyebrow but said nothing, following Hadan through a final thin alleyway into a small city square where a small battle was under way. The children were all armed to the teeth with stick-swords. Some were carved and crafted for combat, some were simply a branch torn from a tree, but all of them were swarming a single point. A short Redguard man in a red leather longcoat stood in arrogant defiance. He was covered in belt straps and bandoliers, on his head was a tied bandana covered by a leathery wide-brim hat, and in his hand was a curved wooden blade that moved like lightning, deflecting and parrying each strike as the children around him attacked.

"Terrible! Jeremy, strike through me, not at me! Emil, your stance is shit, widen up." He kicked out the legs of one child as he charged forward, dropping the girl to the ground and placing his boot on her stomach, he struck a dramatic pose. "Can no one stop me!? Even combined you're no match! Muahahahahaaaaaa!"

Two boys approached from either side, one sliding into a jab and the other striking high. The man in the red coat grabbed hold of the boys arm as it came down and flung him into the opposite attacker, sending them both careening across the cobblestone. When they landed, one began to sob and some of the other kids ran over to comfort him. The man in red strode over and tapped them all on the back with his "blade".

"You've all died. Combat isn't over when your comrade falls, it is over when your opponent does."

The crying boy spat at the man's feet. "Daedra take you, cap'n."

The captain sheathed his wooden sword into one of his belts. "Cry me an ocean Julius, but don't be a sore loser. A man whose gallant in defeat will gain a moral victory despite the fight being lost."

"Piss off, pirate cunt."

"Start talking big when you can beat me." The red-coated man bowed and was about to turn when he winced in pain. A stick was jabbed into his side, looking down he saw the girl he'd downed earlier. "That's cheatin', girl. You were dead."

"Wasn't dead sir, ye jus swept me legs. Ne'er touched a hair with your sword."

The captain looked up as though concentrating very hard on thinking back. "So it would seem." He gave her a light punch to the shoulder in congratulations. "Fine work lass. A risky strategy, but fine work."

The man unsheathed his carved wooden practice sword and handed it to her. "Don't go beatin' your mum with that weapon, girl. She'll rip me limb from limb 'f she sees you swingin' that around."

"Aye sir."

The captain looked up to see Hadan towering over a few incredulous young boys with Alaise just behind him and jumped.

"_Satakal. _Is that you Hadan?"

Hadan smiled. "Belayu."

Belayu raised both arms and strode over to Hadan, embracing him. "Good gods, monk. I aint seen you in… what, four years?"

Alaise stared at the two of them. Belayu had to be three feet or more shorter than Hadan. Alaise already seemed small next to Hadan, she couldn't imagine how the Redguard felt.

"Three years."

Belayu shrugged. "Eh, seemed longer without you lookin' over my shoulder all stoic-like. Where you been?"

"Skyrim."

Belayu shook his head. "What in oblivion have you been doing in that ice pit, Hadan?"

"The works of Lady Mara, of course." Hadan said, "And… learning where I might find that Wiseman."

Belayu's eyes narrowed slightly and he looked up at Hadan. "_The_ Wiseman?"

Hadan nodded, "The very same."

Belayu stroked at his short black beard, looking down to his boots. "Well…that certainly changes things. Where is he?" Belayu looked past Hadan to where Alaise stood, "If you don't mind me asking."

Hadan stepped aside so Alaise could be introduced. "Belayu, this is my guard, Alaise. She led me through the Druadach pass."

Alaise held out an arm. "Aye. Though without any trouble in our way I've felt rather useless."

Belayu took her hand lightly and fell into a deep bow. "Well then, my lady, may trouble fall upon you soon. I am Belayu Tilden."

"What?" Alaise looked at him, puzzled.

"Captain Belayu Tilden. That's my name."

"My full name Alaise Tiilden. Tiilden is my family's name."

"Hahaha!" Belayu laughed, "Well, isn't that a coincidence! Suppose it'll save us time when we marry."

"What!?"

Hadan interrupted. "Belayu. I came to ask that favor of you. I need passage along the north coast."

"Ah." Belayu said, an obvious disappointment in his voice. "That may be a problem."

"Why?"

Belayu stared off towards the bay. "My ships been took by the authorities."

Hadan's face pulled into a very slight frown. "Is there any way to get it back?"

Belayu sighed, "Well sure there's a way... but not one your kindly hide is gonna like."


	6. Chapter 6: Oil and Ash

"No."

Hadan's arms were crossed, and his face was in the shape of an uncharacteristic frown.

Belayu attempted to continue, "But Hadan, you haven't even heard the whole-"

"I have heard enough, Belayu. Your ideas put the people of this town in danger."

"They'll never _actually_ be in danger Hadan! They'll just think that-"

"I will have no part in it." Hadan said decisively. And for a moment, the conversation was over before Belayu struck it up once more.

"Ah, but…" Belayu pressured, "You _are_ willing to let us handle the dirty work, after which you can reap the spoils, is that right?"

"No, Belayu. That's not what I-"

"And you are perfectly willing to break the law it seems to me. You're just not willing to put a single unfortunate soul in harm's way." Belayu said the last remark in a mockingly babyish tone.

"Surely there must be some way to resolve your dispute with the authorities." Hadan searched. "Perhaps if your pride were not so monolithic…"

"Ah, the big words cometh." Belayu sneered, "When Hadan seeks to craft insults he hides them within the depths of education."

"I meant no-"

"Besides, they caught me smugglin'. No legal disputes to be had about that. I have near six thousand septims worth of dwarven oil on that wreck."

Hadan's frown deepened as he looked for another point of dispute but Belayu interrupted his search, suddenly pointing to Alaise.

"The lady hasn't cast her vote. 'Tis an unevenly numbered crew we have." Belayu turned to Alaise and raised an eyebrow. "So, bodyguard, what say you?"

Alaise mulled over the sides in her head. On the one hand, Hadan was the one paying her and she supposed that was where most of her loyalty lied. On the other, Belayu's plan seemed perfectly feasible… if slightly foolish.

"Why can't we simply hire another boat?" Alaise posed, hoping to avoid the conflict altogether.

Hadan shook his head. "There are very few ports along the north coast… the ships here trade with Skyrim. To hire a ship to go westward and out of their way would cost-"

Belayu cut in once again, "_Besides_ the cost, I got as much stake in this old pilgrim's 'quest' as he does. I go where he goes, and I don't go without my damned ship."

Alaise raised her eyebrows. "What exactly is it you're travelling for anyway?"

"That's a long conversation for us to have much, much later, bodyguard."

Alaise frowned, but nodded her assent. "Alright, fine, I'll drop it. But if it's important, and if we can't afford another option, I have to side with Belayu on this."

Hadan grimaced. "Your will is your own, Alaise."

"It sounds reasonable enough Hadan, and as you've pointed out, our options aren't exactly broad."

Belayu grinned and clapped his hands together. "Good. It's settled then. Alaise, you head to the dock authorities and I'll make sure to slip onto the docks without anyone seeing my unfortunately beautiful face. Hadan…" Belayu trailed for a second under Hadan's disapproving gaze. "You just… be near the docks when Alaise arrives. Let's just hope they haven't moved my cargo off the ship while we stood around yammering."

* * *

The night air was chilled as Alaise strode down the docks of Farrun. She understood why it had to be her for this part of the plan, but lying to the faces of guards was not her forte. She continually glanced back across the long harbor to see the tower of Hadan awaiting her arrival. If things went south, she wondered if Hadan would assist her, or if he would ignore her plight since he "Could not become involved".

The dock authority offices seemed to crawl towards her as she walked. If only this was a straightforward fight. Swords? She could handle swords – arrows too if she had to, but all this surreptitiousness turned her stomach.

The door creaked loudly as she opened it. Within the room, two guards slouched against the wall on a shoddy wooden bench, and a thin Breton woman sat behind a large desk towards the back. The Breton behind the desk looked up to Alaise and put down the quill she had been writing with.

"Hello ma'am. How can I be of service?"

Alaise walked forward stiffly, the warped floorboards settling beneath her feet. _I have to do this, I have to do this. _She took a deep breath and leaned an arm onto the desk bringing herself down to the eye level of the dock clerk. "Hello, I was wondering what that ship directly outside is carrying."

The woman cocked an eyebrow. "That two-masted junk heap? Illegal salvage. Dwarven oils - from one of the coastal ruins I suspect. I don't believe they'll be sold on the market, if that's what you want to know."

Alaise shook her head, "No ma'am, it's just I think I've seen a fire through one of her windows. You don't suppose dwarven oil explodes do you?"

Suddenly the woman went wide eyed and hopped around the side of the desk. "Good lord, Dunmer! Why didn't you tell me straight away!?" She darted out the door and stood for a moment before her eyes caught the fires burning strongly within the cabin windows. She leaned back into the guards, shouting them out of their slouch. "Up! Up! Sound the alarm! Cut her loose and get that damn thing away from my dock!"

Alaise breathed a quiet sigh of relief that Belayu had gotten the firepit in the cabin to burn high enough. With the plan thoroughly in motion, she put on her best face of shock and ran out of the dockhouse alongside the clerk. "Sh-should I do something? Where should I go?" She stammered at the woman.

The clerk waved her away as she ran towards one of the dock's tug ships. "No, no, get out of here and tell anyone along your way to leave the docks. I've no idea how large this could be."

Alaise nodded and broke off in a jog towards Hadan, whose eyes had been locked on Belayu's "burning" ship since Alaise exited the dock authority.

"Time to leave then?" Hadan said dully as she approached. Alaise nodded and Hadan stood, moving towards the rowboat Belayu had provided. "The scheme goes well, I take it?" Hadan said, not without a small hint of disapproval.

There was something infuriatingly shameful about being under Hadan's judgment and it wore quickly at her patience.

"Yes. Get in the boat." Alaise replied taking hold of an oar. Hadan followed her demand without comment.

The dock's bells began to ring, and loudly. People ran along the docks yelling orders back and forth, scrambling to get the burning ship away from the others. From their vantage in the rowboat, Alaise and Hadan could see Belayu's vessel begin to drift away from the other ships. A single brave crew of Farrun dockworkers had boarded one of the tugs and was dragging Belayu as far from the docks as they could manage. Alaise felt a swell of confidence begin to overwhelm her adrenalin. The plan was working. Even now Belayu was likely far enough away that he could make a clean break. Alaise began to row as hard as she could along the coast of Farrun, heading westward. The meeting point was just beyond the next jut of land and Alaise didn't want to miss their boat. Just as she began, the fires in Belayu's cabin died out, and a single point of light leapt from Belayu's ship, arcing across the night sky towards the lights of the dock. It lodged itself into the dock offices and its light began to spread. Hadan stood, putting the rowboat off balance. Alaise grabbed the sides, attempting to keep it stable.

"Hadan sit down!"

"Look." Hadan said, with as much urgency as Alaise had ever heard from the monk.

As her gaze passed the docks, she saw that the roof of the dockhouse was beginning to catch aflame.

"_That slimy bastard._" Alaise hissed through gritted teeth.

The tug at Belayu's side also began to glow. As it did, Belayu's ship pulled away and swung around to run parallel with Farrun's edge. On the deck, Alaise could make out the forms of several men under the glow of fire arrows being drawn. A small volley of arrows rained down on the other dock buildings and ships as Belayu's sailcloth dropped. The ship picked up speed and began heading in the direction of the originally designated meeting point. The tug it had left behind was now fully engulfed, and the two in their rowboat could see sailors leaping from the sides to escape the flame. Alaise's blood was near to boiling and she gripped the oars as tightly as she would her sword hilt. She whispered strings of obscenities and curses to herself. If Belayu showed his face at their meeting point, she swore she would pummel it into the sand. In the depths of her anger, she didn't notice Hadan's clenched fists until they were about to draw up next to Belayu's anchored ship.

* * *

Alaise took hold of Hadan's arm from the top deck and helped drag him over the side. Two men Alaise didn't recognize began tying up the rowboat to be taken aboard. In the distance, she could still here the alarm bells as Farrun's citizens fought the blaze she had helped cause. Alaise angrily gripped at the rail as Belayu approached. He was smiling ear to ear and swaggered almost as though he were about to dance in celebration.

"Welcome to the _Heartwood_ my friends! A beautiful night for a bonfire, don't you think? Hahaha!"

He swirled his arm into a dramatic bow while his two guests approached. As he raised his head, Hadan's fist was already drawn back and Belayu was slammed by one of the most forceful punches Alaise had ever seen. The arc of Hadan's arm shot Belayu several feet away, where he was dashed against the wall of the captain's cabin. The other men around the ship suddenly dropped what they had been doing and there was a chorus of drawn blades. Alaise's hand touched her own, preparing for a fight. Belayu stumbled forward desperately trying to regain his composure. He held out an arm as a signal to the other crewmembers.

"No, no. Stand down, the lot of you. I'll not have priest guts on my ship." Belayu spat a bit of blood from his mouth and fiddled with his no doubt heavily bruised jaw as the men slowly re-sheathed their swords. "Besides, you can't blame the man for having a babe's heart when it comes to-"

As Belayu stepped back towards Alaise and Hadan, Alaise punched him square in the ribs and he doubled over in pain. The blades surrounding them were drawn again and some of the men began to step forward.

Belayu held an arm up from his curled position on the floor. "No! Gods damn you. I said no, I meant no! Put yer damn blades away you half-wits!"

The crewmen looked to one another, hesitating for a moment before halfheartedly obeying. Belayu glared up at the two of them from below, groaning between breaths.

His gaze turned to Alaise, "I figured the priestess here might be pissy, but I had my doubts a sellsword like _you_ would be up in arms about authorities gettin' what's there's."

Alaise inspected her recently used fist and cracked a couple knuckles. "You don't know me, pirate."

"So it seems." Belayu said, struggling to get himself up. Hadan stepped forward and helped him to his feet, inspecting Belayu's jaw and chest as he did.

Quietly, he spoke in even tones. "I'll mend this for you, if you wish."

Alaise scoffed, "Hadan, you can't be serious. He just burned half Farrun for gods' sake."

Hadan nodded. "Yes. But all are equal in the eyes of merciful Mara, and I must treat even men like this one."

"You _just_ punched him in the face."

"A moment of weakness, for which I must repent." Hadan kept his back turned to Alaise, and she couldn't help thinking the aim was to hide the expression on his face.

Alaise sighed, shaking her head. "Fine. Do what you want. I'll be sleeping someplace quiet if you need me." She pushed brusquely past the two men that stood near the stair to belowdecks. "And I'll be doing so with one eye open." With her final words said, Alaise disappeared into the lower holds of the _Heartwood_.


	7. Chapter 7: Blades Crossed

"LIAR! He lied about the plan _and_ he tricked me into setting up the damn thing!" Alaise paced back and forth in the storage hold Belayu's men had dropped two straw cots into. "And he had a whole crew to begin with! Why in oblivion did he make us do it!?"

Hadan sat on one of the cots in his usual meditative position.

"Belayu needed a fresh face to fool the guards. There are very few in town that trust the man, and rightly so."

Alaise turned to glare at Hadan, "And why the hell do you trust him? Where do you get off calling a man like that 'friend'?"

"It was _you_ who trusted him Alaise, and I call anyone friend who wishes me to. All are equal in the eyes of-"

"'Merciful Mara'." Alaise finished for him, "Yes, Hadan, I know the dogma. You still could have warned me Belayu was a brigand from the start."

Hadan took a long deep breath. "Belayu is a misguided man. But at his core, he wishes for the same thing I do."

Alaise let out a sarcastic laugh. "Oh, and what is that? To burn a coastal city or two before you die?"

Hadan locked eyes with Alaise. "To live long and well and to help others do the same."

Alaise was speechless for a moment before continuing, "Hadan, even you can't be so thick headed! Help others live? The man likely burned folk alive today and you think-"

"As I said." Hadan interrupted. "He is misguided."

Alaise gave the conversation up, sliding down onto her cot with a groan. "I keep company with lunatics."

Alaise woke suddenly to a knock at the door. She hadn't even realized she'd been asleep, though she supposed her exhaustion made sense considering the previous day's escapade. Hadan sat especially still and silent on his cot, seemingly unaware of the knocking. She supposed that meant she had to answer.

"What?"

The person on the other side of the door cleared their throat and pause for a second before asking, "Can I come in?"

Belayu.

Alaise mulled over a couple insults before Belayu cut her off.

"What am I asking? This is my fucking ship." Belayu's response to himself came muffled through the door. It swung open slowly as though Belayu expected another attack. He found instead that Hadan remained in statue form and Alaise was sitting up, leaning on the wall and glaring up at him silently.

Belayu stood there awkwardly for a moment before stepping inside and addressing Alaise.

"Ms. Tilden." He started, hesitating again before continuing. "I wanted to apologize for tricking you yesterday."

"Good."

"I just felt that you might not have helped if-"

"I wouldn't have."

Belayu cleared his throat a second time. "Yes, well… I suppose your mistrust is the price of my revenge."

Alaise kept her angered gaze unbroken. "So you aren't sorry for burning the docks?"

"No, of course not. They stole my ship." Belayu said, as though Alaise had asked a preposterous question.

Alaise stood, her height carrying her well above the gaze of the undersized pirate. "You likely burned innocent people alive last night, and you're telling me you have no qualms about it?"

Belayu waved a hand dismissively, "If you're talking about the sailors of that tug they would have had to be inept enough not to jump ship when we torched it. Anyone that died in that bucket deserved what they got."

Alaise clenched a fist. "Seems you haven't learned your lesson, Brigand."

Belayu's eyes narrowed. "Sorry lass. You have but one free strike on the captain of _Heartwood_, and you've used yours up." He tapped the cutlass at his side threateningly. "Any further mutinous behavior is treated with steel."

Alaise looked into the confident smirk of Captain Tilden and felt her rage hit a critical peak.

"Fine."

"Fine?" Belayu asked incredulously, his smirk vanished.

"Yes. On deck, right now." Alaise said, picking up her blade from the cabin floor. She took a last look over to Hadan whom she supposed would have a problem with this sort of problem solving. However, the monk remained still and silent. It seemed on this particular occasion, the man was actually fast asleep rather than faking. Alaise swung her bastard sword into its sheath and stepped past Belayu on her way to the deck.

"Are you coming? Or do you fear I'll embarrass you in front of your crew?" Alaise posed. Belayu growled something unintelligible about Dunmer and women on ships then followed Alaise up from the hold of the _Heartwood_.

The crew saw the two emerge armed from below decks and turned their collective gaze, trying to work out what was about to happen. As soon as the two walked to opposite sides of the deck and it became clear they were going to fight, the crew left their tasks behind and gathered on the poopdeck to lean over the rail and watch the bout. The four of them began stomping in rhythm and chanting.

"Be-la-yu!…Be-la-yu!…Be-la-yu!"

Alaise drew her sword, and Belayu followed suit. He made a few quick fanciful movements with his blade before falling into a wide stance.

"There's still time to leave this be, lass." Belayu said, low and threatening.

"My name is Alaise." His opponent said, shifting forward. "Remember it so you may curse my name as your soul reaches the next world."

Belayu took a step forward to match hers, and the two began to circle on the swaying deck. Each stepped forward inches at a time, until Alaise's sword came into striking range.

Alaise swung upwards into a high stance, dropping her blade in a leftward arc. Belayu swiftly dodged to the side and Alaise was forced to follow through, bringing her blade around for another strike. In between her swings, Belayu saw a brief opening and stabbed forward in a lunge. Alaise reacted barely in time, rotating her handguard to catch and redirect Belayu's strike. Following her block, Alaise returned to a high stance and stepped back, taking a defensive position. Belayu lost no time in pushing forward, swinging at both of Alaise's sides in rapid succession, hoping to put her off guard. Alaise struggled desperately to keep up with the quick movements of Belayu's cutlass, but managed to barely deflect his quick blows one after the other. Belayu paused for a moment and Alaise saw her opportunity, swinging her sword in a low horizontal motion. For a second she saw panic in Belayu's eyes as he worked out how to counter her, but at the last moment he leapt higher than she imagined he could and deftly avoided her attack. Despite his success Alaise saw Belayu's weakness. Given the weight of her sword and her comparatively superior strength of arm, All Alaise needed to do was match her strength against him with a strike he would have to parry instead of dodge. When matched against Alaise's full force strike, Belayu would undoubtedly be unable to deflect it. After her last swing, the crew had grown silent. Their attentions were now too focused on the whirling swords to pay attention to anything else. Belayu suddenly darted off to the side, rounded the mast, and then leapt off one of the knotted ropes at its base, aiming around Alaise's side, hoping to strike just beyond Alaise's reach. Quickly Alaise rolled to her side, recovering her stance a few feet from Belayu's landing.

"You're quicker than I thought you'd be, Alaise." Belayu said as the two opponents began circling one another once again.

"No surprises from you so far, pirate. To be honest I expected more dirty tricks." Alaise replied.

"Tricks are to be saved until an opportune moment." Belayu stated, one hand leaving the hilt of his cutlass, "I thought you'd know that."

The captain leapt forward with his cutlass at the fore, striking upward from the right as his left hand reached towards his boot. Alaise saw the movement of his off hand and lept forward, blocking his cutlass head on and hoping to catch him off guard. Belayu dropped to the deck and used the advantage of close range to sweep Alaise's legs from under her, dropping her to the ground. Swiftly as he could, Belayu followed up his strike, drawing a dagger from his boot and attempting to bring it to bear on Alaise's throat. Alaise, seeing the dagger on its way, lashed her foot straight out into Belayu's chest sending him back and allowing Alaise to regain her footing. She pushed her advantage, striking in thin rapid arcs to Keep Belayu's hands occupied and force him toward the edge of the ship. As he was struck back, Belayu saw the edge of the ship coming towards him and made a final attempt to strike at Alaise, pointing his attack at her sword arm and throwing the dagger immediately following. Alaise deftly parried his strike and moved to the side just enough for the dagger to slide off her half-plate. Her next strike, catching Belayu out of place, forced the cutlass from his hand, sending the blade careening off into the sea.

Alaise's blade tip pressed against Belayu's throat and she heard the on-looking crew begin to come towards her. Belayu's head was leaned back as far as he could manage, his eyes locked on the tip of Alaise's sword. "So, that's it then?" Belayu said shakily. "You're not going to kill me?"

Alaise tilted her head from side to side, mockingly pretending to weigh the decision in her head.

"No, I suppose not. We still need someone to captain this ship."

Belayu nodded to her and she lowered her blade, swinging it back into her sheath. Crew slowed their approach and Belayu waved them off, leaning down to his knees to catch his breath. Alaise caught her own and leaned back against the _Heartwood_'s mainmast.

"Not bad, pirate."

Belayu shook his head, walking over to pick up the dagger he'd thrown. "Where the hell did you learn all that, lass?"

"One hundred and fifty years of practice."

Belayu paused for a moment to take her statement in before nodding. "Aye, that'll do it." He replaced the dagger in his boot then went to the side to stare wistfully into the sea. "That was my favorite cutlass."

Alaise chuckled at his expense, taking plenty of pleasure in her victory. "Well, that's life."

After a minute, Belayu turned back to address Alaise. "I suppose you'll be wanting something for having bested the captain eh?"

Alaise clicked her tongue and turned back towards the stairs they'd come from, leaving Belayu to the deck. "Do not lie to me again."

The pirate frowned out at the sea and didn't answer, leaning onto the rail and letting out a long melancholy breath.

"My cutlass…"

* * *

As Alaise stepped back into her and Hadan's room, Hadan opened his eyes a crack and squinted out from half sleep at the Dunmer, who had begun to shed the heavier parts of her armor.

"You look out of breath."

"Aye." Alaise replied, wiping at her face with a rag pulled from her belt pouch.

"What's happened?" Hadan asked, and for a moment Alaise wondered if the monk knew the answer already, but there was nothing laced within his monotoned question that indicated he was anything but asleep all along.

"Exercising." She said, after a brief pause.

"Ah."


	8. Chapter 8: Home

Alaise sat on the steps of the forecastle deck, rhythmically running her whetstone along the edge of her blade, occasionally spitting onto its surface to re-wet it. Around her, the crew worked in two-person shifts. A Khajiit and an older Imperial operated as one, and two young Bretons were the other. The day wore on and Alaise ran out of equipment to maintain. She wasn't much use on ships despite her island upbringing so her help was likely unwanted by Belayu's crew. Belayu himself stood at the helm, looking over the ocean ahead and occasionally glancing around the ship to gauge the workings of his crewmen. If one stepped out of place or was attending to the wrong area of the ship, he would bellow down to them and they would quickly jump to their new task. For a while, Alaise watched their workings and tried vaguely to understand which ropes led where and which actions had what outcome, but the complexities of sailing were beyond both her knowledge and her attention. She lay back on the forecastle deck and stared up into the warming sky, watching the clouds sway with the movements of the ship. As the sun touched the horizon's edge Belayu rang a bell, suddenly jerking Alaise from her dream-like cloud watching.

"Wind's dead boys, time for food and drink! We make landfall tomorrow so eat hearty!" Belayu yelled down the final order to his crew and tied off the helm to keep the ship steady. The Khajiit and the Imperial wandered belowdecks to notify the two Bretons that it was meal time, and Alaise stood to follow them, suddenly feeling the emptiness that plagued her stomach.

Within the belly of the ship, the crew lit oil lamps, bathing the galley in a warm and welcoming light. The Bretons began passing around tankards and tapping a barrel of cheap ale while the other two boiled dried meats on a stove. In the center of the galley, a thick wooden table was nailed to the floorboards. As Alaise entered, she saw Hadan had already begun slicing fruits on the counter and she found herself addressing a bizarrely home-like scene. For a moment, she wondered to herself how long it had been. How long had it been since she had a hot meal indoors and among those she knew. She supposed the only one she'd known for more than a couple days was Hadan, but still there was a stark difference between eating among strangers at a tavern and eating among travelling companions with a destination. She breathed it in and savored the moment for just a few seconds before stepping forward and helping Hadan with the fruit.

"No, truly! He did! I swear the look on that man's face was just…" The Bretons (Whose names Alaise had learned were Adel and Germund) were snickering through a story, trying to hold themselves together well enough to tell it through, and Alaise couldn't help but smile along with them. The Imperial and the Khajiit were putting back tankards of ale like Sanguine himself, laughing half at the story they'd doubtless heard before and half at the Breton's incoherent rendition of it.

"And Belayu- Belayu says 'I only broke half of it, so I expect half my payment.'"

The whole table erupted in laughter and the Breton who'd finished the tale wiped a few tears from the side of his eyes before taking another swig of the watery ale.

"And that is what convinced me to join this crew."

"Where is Belayu anyway?" Alaise asked, chewing through some of the last of her food.

The Imperial nodded back up the stairs to the main deck. "The captain never goes belowdecks save when he has to and when he sleeps. The man's love of the sea is damn near unhealthy."

Alaise raised her tankard to her lips, speaking into the tin before taking a swig. "Good for a pirate to love the sea, I suppose."

The crew looked at each other awkwardly before the Khajiit spoke up. "The captain does not like being called a pirate. He is more of an 'unsanctioned privateer', so he says."

Alaise shrugged. "Still sounds like a pirate to me. Who does he suppose he's privateering for?"

"The Empire."

"And he does that by burning coastal towns?" Alaise asked, bitterness creeping back into her voice.

"No, no… the Heartwood has never done that before. Usually we are further to the southwest. We seek the sea for the prizes of Summerset."

Alaise raised her eyebrows. "…You target Thalmor? Seems like unnecessary danger to me."

The Khajiit nodded and the Imperial stepped in, "Believe me, at the start we made quite a lot of fuss over his targets. But over time… well, we saw a lot of things I'd rather not see again. And I don't feel so bad about Thalmor hunting anymore."

Germund raised his cup, "The Aldmeri gold doesn't hurt either."

"Aye, it doesn't."

Alaise mulled over the new information as she refilled her tankard. "I can't imagine the Empire would hire privateers against the Thalmor."

"Hence the 'unsanctioned' part of 'unsanctioned privateer.'" Adel chimed in. "Belayu says he understands the Empire's need well enough to act on their behalf. And I s'pose I don't disagree."

"You think your robbery benefits the Empire?"

Adel shrugged. "Oblivion can take the Empire as far as I'm concerned. The red-skirts have never done nothin' for me or mine. But if the captain wants to work under their name, I got no qualms."

A loud footstep jerked everyone's heads to the galley door, where Belayu was leaning in, hand rested on the doorframe.

"Merry times in the Heartwood, eh?" He said, locking eyes with both Bretons in turn. "Germund, Adel – get topside. The wind's picking up."

Adel stood and immediately made his way toward the captain. Germund chugged down the last of his ale and let out a satisfied gasp for air, following a moment after. All three stepped out of the galley towards the stair but Belayu glanced back for a second to Alaise before going on his way.

The table was silent for a few empty moments before the Imperial clapped his hands together, shifting seats to the other end with the Khajiit in order to even out the table.

"If there's one sure way to remove awkwardness between strangers, it's ale. Another glass, ma'am?"

It took Alaise a moment to realize the man was talking to her. She felt a twinge of leftover guilt for Lucius's death once more. She supposed the use of "Ma'am" must be an imperial habit.

"Aye, I'll take another." She said, sliding her tankard to the Imperial's hand. He refilled it then slid it quickly back to her.

"Quite the sword dance you had with the captain earlier, ma'am."

Alaise choked on her drink, taking a quick glance over to Hadan beside her. His eyebrows were thoroughly lowered.

"I ah… Yes I suppose I did." Alaise answered hesitantly.

The Imperial seemed oblivious to the monk's reaction and continued. "No need to be humble ma'am, I haven't seen anyone give the captain a run-around like that before. Truly impressive."

Alaise grinned a little, trying very hard to ignore Hadan's gaze. "Thank you. Though it was a touch closer than I'd have liked. Belayu's quite good." Alaise cleared her throat "And uh… the name is Alaise. No need to use "ma'am"."

The Imperial nodded, extending a hand. "Devon Early. Pleasure."

Alaise shook it and nodded courteously. "Likewise."

The imperial nodded to the Khajiit beside him. "This untalkative fellow is Engles."

The Khajiit's face pulled into a slight frown. "I speak plenty, Dev."

"Sure, sure, just not when there's women nearby."

The Khajiit's frown deepened as Devon cackled at his own joke.

"No offense meant ma'am, just ribbing Engles here."

Alaise smirked reluctantly. "Right…"

"So." Said the imperial as Alaise trailed off. "How d'you know Belayu and Hadan?"

"I rightly don't." Alaise replied, "I only just met Hadan earlier this week. I'd never even heard of your "privateer" before yesterday." she glanced to Hadan's stony expression beside her and cleared her throat. "How do you know Belayu, Hadan?"

The residual anger in Hadan's face cleared and he seemed like he was about to speak, but Engles interrupted.

"He was onboard a couple years ago while we were working around the west coast. Hopped on in Stros M'kai and healed for us a season or two." He paused looking to Hadan. "Our crew used to be thirteen strong. Hadan's the only reason any of us are left." The Khajiit placed his left arm up on the table where a large twisting scar swirled up nearly to his shoulder. Alaise could see it was from some sort of magic and nodded solemnly. She couldn't imagine anyone going toe to toe with a Thalmor mage and coming out unscathed - or alive for that matter.

The imperial leaned forward, keeping both hands around his mug. "But besides all the healin' he did - boy you should have seen him Ma'am. We got boarded off the coast of Daggerfall. He clobbered two of 'em clear off the side and into the ocean. Gods alive it was a fearsome sight…" He raised the mug to Hadan's downturned face. "Saved more'n a few of us that day."

Alaise looked to Hadan incredulously. "You fought the Thalmor? How many "Moments of weakness" do you have exactly?"

"It's different when-" Hadan began but Alaise cut him off.

"What, when it's people you don't like? Don't mean to burst your sense of holiness but that's practically everyone's reason for a fight." Alaise couldn't help but get angry with the monk. His "moral code" seemed looser by the day.

Hadan seemed anxious for the first time since she'd met him "It's more complicated than that. I cannot explain it to you now but maybe-"

"I think I understand enough, Hadan. Don't get me wrong I fully support your Thalmor beating. It's all the hypocrisy that's getting to me. If you're gonna fight just fight. Don't keep lying to yourself about it, gods' sake."

"It is more complicated than it seems. Once we hit land, I'll speak to Belayu, and I may be able to explain. Until then, please trust that there is more to this than simple morals." Hadan stood to walk out of the room.

"I'm not trusting anything. When we hit land, I'm going to Evermor. You two can go find your "wiseman" without me; I have gold to make elsewhere."

Hadan seemed to pause a moment at the door, but continued forward without another word.

The imperial raised his eyebrows and stared off at nothing in particular.

"We'd best get going ma'am- er… Alaise. Good talking with you,"

He and Engles stood in unison and left Alaise alone in the galley.

Trouble. Alaise thought to herself, polishing off the last bit of ale in her mug. Way too much trouble.


	9. Chapter 9: Lost Horizons

The white-sand shores of High Rock shifted beneath Alaise's boots as she strode through the shallow waters away from the landing dingy. Hadan dragged the boat ashore as Belayu stepped off into the water to follow Alaise. The rest of the crew followed in their own boat just behind the trio. Soon everyone was ashore and catching their breaths. As Alaise gathered her things, Hadan pulled Belayu aside and the two shared a series of quick hushed words. Belayu punched at Hadan's shoulder but nodded reluctantly at whatever the monk had suggested and they both turned to Alaise. She cocked an eyebrow but said nothing, walking over to where they stood further up the sand.

"What is it?" She asked bruskly, "I'm about to be off."

Belayu gave Hadan one last questioning look before turning to Alaise.

"Our large mutual friend has suggested we pay you double your wages and let you in on our… purposes here in High Rock. Interested?"

Alaise frowned. "He was paying thirty per day, which is far lower than my usual fifty."

Belayu sighed, "He mentioned that. We would be paying you one hundred septims per day of service."

A hundred septims per day? Alaise thought, trying not to show her surprise. That was the sort of pay she'd expect from a regional lord not some monk and a brigand.

"I may be interested. It depends on the nature of your plans. Tell me specifics, and I'll see how I feel." Alaise finally replied.

Belayu scowled. "Look miss, I told Hadan I didn't want to even propose this to you but he insisted, and I suppose our little duel the other day has convinced me of your value in a tussle. Otherwise I would be completely on board for setting you on your merry way." The Redguard sighed, running a hand nervously through his hair. "The stakes are high on this job. Real high. If anything gets out about it…"

"We would be killed?" Alaise finished for him.

"No. It could rip Nirn to pieces." Belayu corrected. "And that is not an exaggeration for effect."

Alaise stared into the Redguard's eyes, looking for any hint of misdirection but found none.

Belayu continued, "If you're in on this one, you're in for the long haul. We can't have any information getting out until we're sure the job is done."

"And if I hear this job and turn down your offer you'll what? Kill me to keep the information secret?"

Belayu tilted his head back and forth. "Well, I'm not sure I could stop you to be honest, but I suppose I'd have to try, if that was how it turned out."

Alaise furrowed her brow and looked back and forth between both the men awaiting her reply. She was insatiably curious about what could be so important, and her curiosity was made all the more intense by the prospect of vast amounts of gold, but she couldn't shake the sense of dread surrounding the whole situation. It reminded her of when she first left her mother on Ghorne. She knew which decision was the one she had to make, but she couldn't help feeling as though she was committing to something she wouldn't understand until it was too late. Still, she soon found the words she needed, and pushed herself through it.

"I agree. Give me the terms."

Hadan nodded solemnly and motioned for Alaise to come with him and Belayu to the edge of the forest, away from the other crew members of the Heartwood.

Alaise looked to Belayu, confused. "They don't know about this job?"

The pirate nodded, "No one will ever know but us."

As the three of them passed into the trees, Alaise wondered once more what she had gotten herself involved with.

* * *

The three of them sat in a small clearing just barely within the forest Alaise sat on a stump while Belayu paced, occasionally glancing at Hadan.

"I'm still not sure about adding a member to this job, Hadan."

"She has the arm for it, Belayu." Hadan replied, trying to ease his friend.

"Aye, she has the arm, I know that well enough." Belayu waved him off, continuing his rhythmic steps.

"I said I'm in, so I'm in. For gods' sake get on with it before you make a ditch with your pacing." Alaise finally said, holding out an arm to stop Belayu's path. "Just tell me the job. What's got you so riled?"

Belayu breathed deep, as though about to begin, but then motioned to Hadan. "Take it away, monk."

"You want me to tell her?" Hadan asked. "You found the ship."

"Yes, and_ you_ brought her into this. Now get on with it, please." Belayu replied, seeming to calm a bit as he found himself a spot to sit against a tree.

Hadan nodded, "Very well." He turned to Alaise, "Three years ago, I was healing for Belayu's crew. He found a ship-"

"Aye, a Thalmor ship." Belayu interjected.

"...a Thalmor ship that was far from where normal trade routes would take it."

"Cause of the nature of our work see," Belayu interrupted again. "We swung wide of common routes where the military would be looking so we could move free of worry between striking points."

Hadan stared at the Redguard until he finished then continued, "Back then Belayu didn't target Thalmor necessarily, but it looked like an especially easy catch. This ship was not as it appeared."

"Looked like a standard armed trader, but the damned thing was full stem to stern with Thalmor agents and military." Belayu added.

Hadan paused for a moment, continuing to look at Belayu with a blank expression. Belayu noticed Hadan's stare and nodded begrudgingly.

"Sorry, friend. Continue."

"...Once we were onboard and fighting they closed us in. It seemed they didn't want us to run. So we fought. We lost eight men and women, almost ten had I not gotten to them in time. Belayu had to kill the last Thalmor stragglers. Usually he would leave whoever surrendered but… These ones wouldn't stop fighting."

"Not even the cook would lay down his dagger."

"Once it was over and the wounded were seen to, we searched the ship. It had barely any worthwhile cargo, but as it turned out - cargo was not this ship's purpose. It was carrying Thalmor intelligence."

Alaise leaned in, "What sort? Military movements?"

Hadan's mouth tugged into a very slight frown, "No. Within the captain's desk there were locked scrolls meant only for the eyes of a few extremely high ranking agents. We found that the Thalmor are acting against ancient things - Pillars that hold our world in place. Some call them Towers or Anchors, but they were put in place to keep Nirn and Tamriel from falling apart into the mists from which they were formed."

Alaise scoffed "Why would the Altmer want to end a world their standing on? Doesn't make any sense."

"They seem to believe that if they do… They will ascend back into immortal spirits for all eternity, no longer bound by the trap of death."

"Does the empire know about this?" Alaise posed.

Hadan shook his head, "I don't know. But if they do, they are not doing well to stop it."

"So what did you do?"

"We took all that we could and burned the ship. Afterwards we decided we would split up. Belayu would keep hitting Thalmor ships and I would go to land and start searching for more information. The intelligence on the ship mentioned a Breton wiseman that was meddling in their affairs. They hadn't been able to find him, but it seemed he knew about their plans."

"And now you've found him?"

"Yes."

Alaise rubbed at her chin, staring into the dirt and toiling with the stream of new information. Thousands of questions formed in her mind.

"Why can't we just blow this open right now? Tell everyone? Surely the Thalmor-"

Belayu stood, "We've thought it through plenty already, Alaise. The Thalmor own damn near the whole of Tamriel. The empire is dying. The rebellion in Skyrim doesn't have the strength to move outside Skyrim's borders even if they do win. There is no one out there who can stop their army."

"So…" Hadan continued, "We will never face their army."

"How?" Alaise asked, "What is the actual plan here?"

Hadan and Belayu were silent for a moment too long.

"We don't know for sure. The wiseman should know more."

"Should?" Alaise asked incredulously, "So you don't have a plan, is what you're saying?"

Belayu shook his head, "Not...a solid one. Yet. But even if we can't find this wiseman, or he doesn't know what to do, there are leads we can go on and-"

"Okay, I'm going to stop you right there." Alaise interrupted. "This is not a job. This is conscription into a lifetime of foolishness."

Belayu sighed but said nothing, Hadan remained completely silent.

"Look, I will help you. Especially so since you're paying me to, but you need to understand this is temporary. I cannot chase Thalmor agents for the rest of my life or the "rest of my life" is going to be cut extremely short." Alaise grimaced, motioning to Belayu. "Fuck's sake, Belayu you know that better than most, given your lost crew."

"Aye."

The glade they stood in was dead silent for a few moments before Hadan shifted from his position and broke the silence.

"So you are coming with us?" He asked, taking his small pack up from the dirt.

"Yes."

"Good." The monk replied as he threw the pack over his shoulder. "Let's be off then. We will need the daylight to track our wiseman."

Belayu nodded, looking back towards the beach. "I'll be with you in a moment Hadan; I have some friends to see for the last time."

The Redguard left his pack in the glade and started to walk back towards his crew. Hadan stared after him for a few moments, seeming to be thinking something over before he dropped his pack as well and turned for the beach. Alaise followed them to the edge of the forest, watching the two men cross the beach towards their friends. Belayu hugged each of them in turn, tightly. Stopping for an extra moment with the Khajiit, Engles, Belayu removed his hat. As he handed it to Engles, the Khajiit stopped him, but Belayu pushed it into the cat's paws anyway. From the distance she stood. Alaise could see the cat's ears drop and his head shake as the two spoke quietly together. Hadan locked arms with every crew member and said a presumably monotone farewell while Belayu embraced Engles a final time.

Alaise looked on and wondered how long it was since she had been so close to someone. In all the world over she wondered if there was anyone left who would hug her if they met again. The feeling of home she had the night before in the galley was gone. She was an outsider again now - no tearful goodbyes to say, just a dangerous journey ahead.

"Are you ready to go?" A voice jostled her out of thought and she turned her head to see Belayu, his eyes still a bit red. She nodded silently back to him.

"Good. Let's get a move on."


	10. Chapter 10: The Valley

Alaise walked just behind Hadan and ahead of Belayu. The monk seemed to know where he wished to search for the wiseman and while Alaise wasn't confident in their potential for success, she figured the best informed among them should make the path. Belayu was quiet behind them for a time. It seemed his mind was still stuck on the beach, but as they delved deeper into the forests of High Rock his tongue loosened into an unrelenting string of complaints and jokes.

"Daedra can take Nirn. Fuck the ground. Gods it's just so damn hard and steep. _Satakal_ Hadan how do people live like this? It was bad enough on the docks of Farrun but _hills_ Hadan? Unpopulated no liquor-having gods forsaken tree-laden worthless hills far as the eye can see. It's a crock of shit I tell you."

"Mm." Hadan replied yet again.

"And gods the _stones_. I thought forests were all trees and soft moss, but there are stones everywhere. Where are the majestic glades? Where are the forest nymphs sent to seduce me, Hadan?"

"You're thinking of spriggans. They will kill you."

"A perfect example of why I shouldn't be on land! Gods above if I didn't have you to hold my hand I'd be halfway through making love with a twig."

Alaise stifled a laugh and Belayu turned back to her as she regained composure.

"You know, you are allowed to let out a chuckle or two. I doubt the forest has any opinion on your stalwart exterior."

Alaise cleared her throat and gave Belayu a brief glare. "Maybe you shouldn't have an opinion on it either."

Belayu held up a hand and turned away. "Point taken, Alaise. Have it your way."

The next hour or so was populated by the sounds of the party's footsteps and the quiet shifting of their gear. Belayu intermittently swore under his breath as he stumbled over or stepped on a particularly uncomfortable stone. Alaise noticed that Hadan's ludicrous pace which he had kept earlier in their journey had slowed. She wasn't sure if it was so he could better probe the dark corners of the forest, or if it was out of pity for the pirate struggling to get his land-legs but she didn't take the opportunity for granted. As the sun began to dip, Alaise relaxed her pace and could feel a bit of the exhaustion which had built up through the trip begin to fade. As intimidating as the task ahead seemed, the trio still sat in the calm before the storm, and the day was so beautiful it was hard to remain as solemn as was appropriate for their quest. Hadan did seem to manage though. As Alaise took another look at the monk, his eyes peered methodically between the trees, occasionally pausing to look closer at broken branches or shifted stones before continuing.

Belayu continued his tirade as he nearly slipped maneuvering down a slope.

"What clue led us into this gods-forsaken forest anyhow, Hadan? You never mentioned."

"A story I heard when I was in Skyrim."

Belayu paused for a second. "I hope that's not the only thing we're basing this trip on, monk."

"Tales of the Wiseman go back a long way, and I have heard many. But the man I heard this tale from says it was his father who encountered the Wiseman."

Alaise sighed, "So we _are_ basing this trip on a rumor."

"Gods' sake Hadan I thought you had something solid here!" Belayu kicked at the dirt. "I should've known to ask this from the beginning. Of course _you_ would trust some random stranger's information. I thought you had a record or a map or… shit, anything useful really."

"This tale was very specific about the area."

Alaise grimaced. "Much as it pains me, I have to agree with Belayu on this one. This is sounding more and more like a fool's errand."

"I have found several signs of foot traffic in this area of the woods already. I am certain he is here."

Alaise looked to Belayu and shrugged. He rolled his eyes and sighed, knocking his head exasperatedly against an old pine.

"Fine. Whatever skips your stone Hadan, but mark me: If end up growing old and dying in this forest I'll haunt your bald head."

The edges of Hadan's mouth turned up slightly and he nodded, looking up to the sky as its tinge began to shift into orange.

"We should look for a place to make camp..." Hadan remarked. "As we move."

* * *

The day dragged on into night, and the three settled on the edge of a hill that looked out over a small valley.

Belayu began to start a fire but Hadan stopped him.

"We don't want to scare off our new friend before we find him." Hadan cautioned.

The pirate grimaced but conceded, reluctantly giving up on his plans of a hot meal. Alaise sat first watch as the last light of day faded behind the hill. Masser and Secunda took their place in the heavens and she spent her time watching them, picking out shapes in their craters. She wondered if Azura would approve of her quest. The Daedric prince often smiled on the most heroic of the Dunmer. No deed Alaise had ever done could have warranted Azura's gaze, but she wondered...if what the monk said was true, were the gods watching? She had heard many stories of the divines and the Daedra, but most were so far in the past that they weren't to be believed. At best they were religious legends, but most commonly they were old wives' tales - as full of frivolous exaggeration as they were of possible fact. Yet, here was Alaise beneath the twin moons, on a quest to keep the world of Nirn in a single piece. If there had ever been truth to those old stories, she would surely be finding out soon enough.

Leaves crunched quietly behind her as Belayu approached. Alaise turned to him for a moment before looking back out to the star-lit view of the valley. The Redguard was next watch so she supposed it was nearly time for her to switch out and get some sleep.

Instead of saying anything, Belayu sat down cross-legged on the stone beside her and took a long deep breath.

"There's something to this mountain air." He said, "Pure and clean. Haven't had a whiff of fish guts since we set foot in these woods."

"Haven't smelled yourself then, aye?" Alaise replied. For a moment Belayu looked to her incredulously, then scoffed.

"Thought you'd never crack a joke."

"That was more of an insult." Alaise corrected, "And I've made plenty of those."

Belayu shook his head, "I didn't hear any insult in that one - seemed like it was meant in good fun."

Alaise shrugged and there was a long moment of awkward silence.

"I am sorry."

Alaise turned to him but his eyes were aimed down to the rock beneath them.

"I been out on the sea a long time and I know I don't take well to land-laws." He sighed, "Dunno if it's that damned monk or your judgment that got me thinking but… I'm sorry for the docks. I shouldn't have done it."

Alaise stared at him as an owl hooted somewhere and it echoed down the valley. Belayu's hands fiddled with themselves, and his eyes seemed intent on following the cracks in the rock. The man was embarrassed, and while it gave Alaise plenty of satisfaction to see the look on his face, she decided to leave him in peace this time.

"I s'pose we should switch shifts, then?"

"Aye." Belayu let out a long exasperated breath.

Alaise continued as she walked back to her bedroll "And while it's not me you wronged, I'll accept your apology."

Belayu didn't turn, but he listened for her until she was far enough from ear-shot, and began to hum quietly to himself.

It was a long, slow tune that faded into the valley air.


	11. Chapter 11: The Blue Flash

Three days later, the valley was blue and coated in morning mists as Hadan and Alaise looked over Alaise's worn map. Hadan traced his fingers around the wood they were searching, pointing out the areas they had already investigated. The previous day had been spent moving in a grid pattern to no avail. They had circled back almost entirely to their original campsite now, and while Hadan only seemed slightly more somber than usual, Belayu had begun to grow restless, and Alaise often saw him pacing out of the corner of her eye when they stopped. She had to admit she was frustrated as well, but at least she was getting paid. Belayu and Hadan had done nothing these last few days except lose money and time.

"The trail I have been following has been difficult to track, but never impossible..." Hadan said  
quietly to himself.

Alaise nodded, predicting what Hadan was about to suggest.

"I believe our Wiseman is leading us in circles."

Belayu grumbled loudly as he redirected his pacing to where Hadan and Alaise stood. "Why in the gods' names would he do that? And how? With a few broken twigs and suggestions of paths? How could he know we'd see everything?"

"He is a wiseman, Belayu." Alaise pointed out. "Maybe he's just outsmarted us."

"Maybe Hadan just doesn't want to admit the Wiseman isn't here."

Alaise waved him off "We both know our monk is far too benevolent for that."

"You aint been on his bad side. My jaw's still aching."

"I have not exaggerated the truth to either of you." Hadan interjected.

"No one's saying that, Hadan." Alaise assured him.

"I am."

"Belayu!"

Belayu threw up his hands, "What!? We're following the word of some peasant farmer from Skyrim, traipsing through gods forsaken woods, following "evidence" that could well have been left behind by animals or hunters. We are wasting our time, there is no other way about it!" He pointed to Hadan "And Hadan, much as I love him, is gullible and optimistic to a fault." Belayu continued, walking circles around the map and gesturing to the valley around him. "This whole venture is a waste of time and the Thalmor move closer to the remaining Towers every day! This Wiseman was a fine idea, but if he doesn't want to be found, let him hide. We have more important things to bother with than old men dying in the woods!"

Belayu shot a look to both Alaise and Hadan. "So? What say you?"

Hadan's head suddenly turned to stare into the trees.

Belayu looked puzzled. "...what?"

"I hear something."

Alaise put a hand on her bastard sword.

Hadan motioned for both of them to get behind the trees. Belayu's hand instinctively dropped to take hold of a cutlass that wasn't there. He cursed under his breath and knelt down to retrieve his boot knife instead.

After a long moment, a twig audibly snapped up the hill. As Alaise glanced around the trunk of her tree, a whistling sound pierced through the woods and a crossbow bolt ripped through the leaves. It embedded itself in the dirt by Alaise's feet, vibrating from its own force.

Crossbows. Why is it always crossbows? Damn crossbows to Oblivion. Alaise thought angrily to herself.

She whispered to the other two, "stay behind the trees. See if they waste more bolts."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Belayu grumbled.

And so they waited. The forest returned to its usual sounds. Birds chirped through the valley, and leaves were rustled by the wind. Eventually Belayu couldn't stand the silence.

"OY!" He shouted out. His voice echoed down the valley. "Who are you and what is your business with us!?"

There was a long pause, but eventually they heard a shuffling in the leaves ahead. "Our business aint with you! Just the she-elf!"

Belayu aimed a questioning stare at Alaise. For a moment Alaise was confused herself, until she recognized their attacker's accent.

The bloody Bretons from the inn. She sat agape for a few moments. How had they even found her? She'd gotten on a ship, hiked directionless through the woods for three days…

"She killed my brothers! The bounty on her head is mine by rights!"

"I know nothing of a bounty, Breton!" Belayu replied "But I don't really care. You won't be collecting it!"

Alaise shouted an addition. "Since I killed you're brothers, we've three capable warriors to your two, by my count."

"Believe as you want, dark-skin! If you don't want to die easily, we can do this the hard way!"

A shadow moved to Belayu's right and he reacted, his arm shooting out like a whip and hurling his dagger at the target. There was a flash in the leaves and a clash of steel as the dagger was deftly deflected. The shadow among the leaves faded silently away.

Belayu's eyes widened. "Alaise…"

"What, Belayu?" Alaise asked, her attention still stuck to the Bretons on the hill.

"We have more problems than just your Breton friends."

Alaise suddenly felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and she whirled just in time to see a black mask retreat back into the leaves of a tree.

"Dark Brotherhood…" Alaise whispered in shock. "We have to go. Now."

She saw Hadan's eyes stray to the ledge at their rear. She nodded and pointed out the route to Belayu who vigorously shook his head. It didn't matter what the pirate thought, she told herself. If the dark brotherhood was there, it was their only avenue of escape. Hadan's hand began to count off fingers from three. Belayu swore against every god Alaise had ever heard of in the meantime. As Hadan's last finger got ready to lower, there was a fizzling in the air around them. Alaise's hair stood on end once again but this time it buzzed with static.

Hadan's eyes widened. "It is some kind of destruction magic. Drop!"

Hadan's hands moved quickly to his core to cast a ward, Alaise dove and rolled to him, standing to her knee behind the protection of Hadan's casting. Belayu was too far to their left to make any moves so he instead flattened himself against the dirt. Thin bars of white light snaked between the trees, slowly at first, then snapping out like lightning with an accompanying cracking thunderous sound. It was as if a spider web of electricity was being woven between the trees just above their heads.

Hadan murmered above Alaise, his thin beaded eyes locked on the magics being cast around them. "May Mara show us mercy…"

The web of lightning detonated, shattering the trees around the three into splinters and diced leaves. Alaise felt her eardrums begin to sing and everything turned mute for a moment. The forest filled with smoke and dust from the charred remains of trees.

Behind the fog of destruction, a shadow began to move towards them. It was tall and thin, a cape billowed at one side of the figure as the forest breeze pushed the dust away. Alaise stood, her ears still screaming at her, and drew her bastard sword, entering a high stance ahead of her friends who were still trying to recover.

From the waning cloud of debris, a man strode. His eyes were a piercing blue, his hair grey with age and tied back into a high ponytail. A rough beard dropped from his chin to his chest. A deep blue cape covered his shoulder and the sheath of his blade. The crackling sounds of destruction magics sizzled around his right hand, as his left held a straight one handed longblade. The wrinkles on his face seemed to indicate an age beyond that of using swords and magic, but he wielded them both with an ease and naturalness that Alaise could only feel threatened by. Belayu popped up beside her, drawing a small knife from somewhere in his shirt. Hadan followed but made no move to defend himself, instead letting his ward disperse into the air and stepping between the two sides.

"Lower your blades, all of you."

Alaise's eyes switched briefly between the stranger and Hadan before nodding her consent, and lowering her sword. Belayu glanced down at his whittling knife with a small measure of shame and nodded, tucking it back into his shirt. Hadan seemed satisfied, and turned to the newcomer, bowing his head deeply.

"You are the Wiseman, I believe."

The old man flipped his cape aside and sheathed his blade. He looked for a moment at each of them in turn. Alaise found it difficult to look him in the eye, and she could see Belayu felt the same. The man's stare stopped at Hadan, who despite towering over him, seemed somewhat smaller by comparison.

"You," he began. "Why do you use that name for me?"

Alaise was confused. The man's accent seemed almost Dunmeri, but she couldn't place it. The spellblade's eyes turned back to her, and she quickly looked away.

"… and whom do you bring into my forest?"

Hadan answered in his monotone, "I call you Wiseman, because I believe only the Wiseman I have heard stories of could weave the magics you have. And these are my companions, whom I trust with my life."

"And the brotherhood assassins?"

"Assailants against us. We had no part in their journey here."

The stranger stood in silence for what seemed like a long time, staring at Hadan. The monk stared back, but Alaise could see his hand flexing nervously at his side. Eventually Myrad smiled and spoke, breaking the silence and seeming almost to dispel the discomfort in the air.

"I believe you, friend. Your intentions aren't malicious. It seems you know more than most about me. Follow me and explain yourself." He looked back to Alaise and Belayu. "Your companions should come as well. We'll go to my cabin."

Alaise and Belayu exchanged a suspicious glance. Hadan nodded to the Wiseman, ignoring the discomfort of the other two. "Of course."


	12. Chapter 12: Respite

The Wiseman led them further and deeper into the trees, up the steady slope of the nearby foothills where the forest grew thickest. The man walked almost like Hadan, weaving in and out of trees, traversing boulders and roots without a thought, and seeming to disappear and reappear further ahead. There was something unnatural about him. Alaise couldn't put her finger on it, but it permeated his every movement and word. He looked Breton to be sure, but he wasn't like any other human she'd met before.

The path he led them on seemed random and directionless. They walked for almost an hour, wordlessly. Just as Alaise was preparing to ask where exactly it was they were going, the Wiseman spoke first.

"It's just ahead. Walk only where I walk, I have the place littered with barriers and magicka traps. Wouldn't want you to step on anything... destructive."

Alaise nodded silently. As the Wiseman turned around to lead them into a thicket, her hand touched at the hilt of her sword. Belayu kept looking to her, seeming to silently be asking her opinion, if they should object, turn back… but she didn't know any more than he did, and Hadan was continuing forward. As much as she was working this as a job, she didn't want to see the monk wandering into a trap alone. So she gave Belayu a reluctant nod, telling him she planned on continuing on. The Redguard frowned and hesitated for a long few seconds before heading into the thicket after Hadan.

The brush was filled with brambles that caught on Alaise's clothes and scraped against her half plate; she could hear Belayu wincing just ahead of her as the thorns scratched at his skin. Luckily, Hadan's broad size was widening the tunnel of thorns quite a bit for both of them. The sound of the Wiseman's voice floated through the brambles back to them,

"We've arrived. Welcome to my home."

As Hadan emerged behind the Wiseman and moved aside, Alaise was able to see into a clearing. She stepped out and wondered for a brief moment if the Wiseman had taken them through a portal to a realm of oblivion. The clearing was so unlike the rest of the forest that she questioned whether she was seeing it correctly at all. Blue lights hung from a massive arcing ceiling of twisted branches. Aside from the lights, the dome of trees and brambles doused the clearing in darkness. Strange plants grew in tiered planters that lined a hill in the area's center, culminating in a Cabin seemingly sculpted from a single piece of wood and forest stones. Small pools lined a path of flat stones that zig-zagged up to the cabin. Beside the cabin grew a strange tree. It's branches reached up into the center of the dome, holding it aloft. It's bark was a deep purple color and its leaves were a lush green. Myrad saw the path of Alaise's shocked face and smiled.

"Ah yes, that's my most precious ally."

"Ally?" Alaise asked. "It's a tree."

"A Hist tree." Myrad corrected. "And a particularly special one at that."

"Incredible," Hadan seemed almost as shocked as Alaise at the Wiseman's home, though his face didn't show it. "How did you manage to transplant a Hist to High Rock?"

"That is too long a story, I think. And I believe we have more pressing topics to talk about." The Wiseman beckoned them to follow and began to walk along the stones to his cabin. Alaise followed with the other two just behind. Under the dome of strange lights and branches, Alaise felt somehow more at ease, her hand slipped from the hilt of her blade as soon as she stepped inside. Her discomfort with the stranger vanished to a vague thought in the back of her mind.

The door to the cabin swung open silently and the Wiseman held it for the rest of them. Inside hung a banner of house Redoran, another with an emblem crafted from runes and symbols Alaise didn't recognize, and a third bearing the eye of the mage's guild. Around the home were shelves of strange curios, an intricate enchanting table in the Cyrodiilic style, and a rack of exquisitely crafted staffs and swords.

Myrad saw Belayu and Alaise's heads turning to take everything in, "Just in case, it's best not to touch anything without asking me first."

Belayu raised his eyebrows, "Don't worry Wiseman. If there's cursed shit in here I plan on staying many meters away."

"My name is Myrad Ulric, or Myrad. Being called Wiseman never sat easily with me."

"Sounds like a Breton name." Alaise said, searching for more information on their host.

"It is. I was born not far from here, in Evermor."

Alaise pointed to the house Redoran banner. "And why do you have that?"

Myrad smiled. "Another long story, but I was once close with house Redoran and those who served it." Alaise made as if to ask another question but Myrad held up a hand. "Before you get carried away, I believe we have some business to discuss." He turned to Hadan. "What goal do a priest of Mara, a sailor, and a sellsword manage to have in common?"

"We have heard you work against the Thalmor-" Hadan began

There was a flash of blue and Myrad's sword was at Hadan's throat. His other hand ignited in flames of magicka, aiming at Alaise.

"Strange!" Myrad began in an oddly civil tone. "The only men or mer who should know of my involvement in their affairs are the Thalmor themselves. I've not let a word slip otherwise."

Hadan's voice remained steady, and he didn't flinch from the blade. "We learned of you through Thalmor intelligence we intercepted. We then tracked you here by way of farmer's tales."

Alaise eyed the spellsword's belt. Oddly colored potions hung from it on tassels. If she could manage to break one of them, the effects could cause a confusion, give her time to draw her sword. As she shifted her weight to position herself for the strike, the fire on Myrad's hand surged slightly. His gaze turned to her.

"Make no move, Dunmer, and answer my questions. Does this monk tell the truth?"

"As far as I know, yes."

There was something strange in the air. She wondered if somehow the Wiseman was using magic to tell if they were lying. She'd never heard of such a spell, but if she'd learned anything in her previous travels it was to expect the unexpected when it came to magic.

"This sailor, is he trustworthy as well?"

Alaise looked to Belayu, wishing to lie but feeling the pressure of Myrad's threat looming above her.

"No, he isn't." Belayu's face scrunched. "But he surely isn't with the Thalmor."

Myrad's flame began to fade, and the tip of his blade pulled away from Hadan's neck.

"And you, Dunmer?"

"I'm not Thalmor."

"Are you trustworthy?"

"To my friends."

The sword swung back into its sheath.

Belayu stared at Alaise for a moment before turning his frown to Myrad.

"You keep drawing that thing on us and I'll have to intervene."

"With that whittling knife of yours?" Myrad nodded to the bump in Belayu's shirt.

"I'll manage!"

"Belayu, calm yourself." Hadan put an arm on the Redguard's shoulder. "We are among allies here. There is no need for this."

"I bloody well know that, Hadan!" he spat to the floor. "Just don't take kindly to people turning swords on my mates, enemy or ally, understand?"

Myrad nodded. "I will keep my weapons sheathed." He turned to a cabinet and opened it to reveal a selection of richly colored bottles of Cyrodiilic wine. Belayu stared into the selection for a moment eyeing the labels with his eyebrows raised in astonishment.

All contentiousness in Belayu's expression vanished without a thought. "Pour me a glass of that Tamika vintage 399, and all is forgiven."


End file.
